LOWER DIR: Local political and social activists on Friday complained that despite the authorities` tall claims and promises, work on the long-awaited Koto hydropower project could not be completed till date.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan along with the then chief minister Pervez Khattak had laid the foundation stone of the project on July 4, 2015. The project was to be completed in February 2019. Started at a huge cost of Rs13,998 million, the project on completion would generate 40.8MW of electricity.

According to official sources, 98 per cent work on the project has been completed. The activists demanded of the government to speed up work on the project.

Senior officials recently visited the site to review security arrangements for the Chinese engineers working on the project. A total of 215 police officials along with Dir Levies personnel are currently deployed for the security of the foreign nationals.

Several dates for completion were announced earlier by the authorities, but the project is yet to be completed, mostly due to security threats to foreign engineers.

On October 17 last year, the project director Sultan-iRoom assured special secretary Irfanullah Wazir that the project would be completed in November 2024.

SECTION 144 IMPOSED: The district administration imposed the Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code to prevent the government from sustaining losses due to illegal use of state land.

An official said violation of the ban will be punishable under Section 188 of Pakistan Penal Code,` he added.

The official said the order had been sent to the authorities concerned, including the district police officer, assistant commissioners and secretary to commissioner Malakand division.

The administration has warned that disciplinary action would be taken against the officers concerned if any illegal construction was reported on government land. Correspondent