CHITRAL: Local MPA Syed Sardar Hussain Shah has demanded the immediate end to the appointment of non-locals to nontechnical posts of Golen Gol hydropower project in Chitral.

The lawmaker, who belongs to the Pakistan People`s Party, told Dawn on Friday that appointing the people, who didn`t belong to Chitral, to nontechnical posts of the project was a violation of the rights of local residents.

He said thousands of Chitrali youths were jobless, while hundreds of families had been homeless since their land and houses were acquired for the project.

Shah alleged that an ANP senator, who headed the standing committee on water and power in the upper house of parliament, had got the people from his hometown adjusted in the project positions.

`Everywhere in the country, nontechnical jobs of the lower grades are given to the people of the areas, where the respective projects are carried out, but in the case of Golen Gol hydropower project, the residents of Chitral were denied the right,` he said.

The MPA said it was really unfortunate to see the Wapda give the jobs of peon, watchmen, driver and junior clerk to the Lower Dir people instead of Chitrali residents.

`The people of the area are very depressed,` he said.

Shah warned that he would `physically` stop `outsiders` from assuming the project jobs of lower grades.

`We`ve no option but to resort to such an action,` he said.

The lawmaker said more than 500 families in Koghuzi and Golen villages had laid down land and houses for the hydropower project but the government didn`t recognise their `sacrifice` and denied them employment opportunities generated by the project.