UPPER DIR: People here on Friday complained about use of substandard material in repair of link roads and other development projects as well prolonged power outage in Upper Dir district.

They said that most of the local roads were in bad shape.

They were speaking at an open 1(utcheri organised by the district administration in district council hall. Deputy commissioner Mohammad Usman Mehsud, district nazim Faseehullah, Dir tehsil nazim Mir Makhzan, and heads of government departments were present on the occasion.

They pointed out that there was no check on sale of substandard food items, especially consumed by children, such as chips and `Amchora`.

Inamullah Khan of JUI-F, Nizamuddin of PPP, Zakir Said of PTI and Arshad Abdali claimed that various NGOs were promoting vulgarity in the district. They said that the residents had been facing difficulties due to ban on timber cutting for domestic use and urged the administration to lift the ban.

Mr Inamullah said that the old building of the women hospital had been turned into a Levies barrack due to which women patients had been facing difficulties. They said that a women hospital should be established in the same building to reduce burden on the DHQ hospital.

The residents also sought permission to use non-custom paid vehicles. Other speakers said that handcarts should be removed from the main Dir bazaar and road to ease the traffic flow. The deputy commissioner directed heads of all the departments to take action on the people`s complaints and submit a report to him.