TIMERGARA, Oct 14: The residents of different areas in Lower Dir have demanded of the authorities to check the prices of sacrificial animals in the district.

Sacrificial animals were being sold at high and unaffordable rates but the local administration was acting like a silent spectator, they added.

Talking to local journalists here on Monday, they said that traders were selling animals without any check from the government. `The price of a buffalo is about Rs110,000 to Rs120,000 in different areas including Chakdara, Talash, Timergara, Munda and Maidan,` they said.

The local people said that a cow was being sold at Rs50,000 to Rs60,000 and goat at Rs15,000 to Rs18,000 while the price of lamb was about Rs18,000 to Rs25,000 in the district.

They said that traders had brought animals for sale todifferent areas including Timergara, Tharai, Talash, Adenzai and Munda.

`We have been visiting cattle markets for the last one week but we haven`t found an animal at a reasonable rate, said Abdullah.

He added that rates of sacrificial animals were high in all areas.

He said that traders were demanding double price of an animal as compared to that of last year.

Abdul Hadi, a trader, told this scribe that the administration was fleecing them in the name of taxes at different entry points.

He said that they had brought sacrificial animals from Dir Upper, Chitral, Bajaur Agency, Mardan and Punjab province.

`We are forced to pay to officials at different entry points,` said another trader.

He complained that there was no arrangement of cleanliness at the selling points.

The residents demanded ofthe government and authorities concerned to keep check on animals` rate.

HOSPITAL: The residents of Adenzai on Monday demanded of the provincial government and high-ups of health department to immediately appoint doctors at tehsil headquarters hospital in Chakdara.

Talking to local journalists, they said that 10 posts of doctors, 16 of medical technicians, 10 of nurses and X-ray technicians had been lying vacant at the hospital for the last eight years.

They said that more than Rs1 billion were spent on construction of the hospital building but it was useless with appointment of staff.

They said that they had to take their patients to Batkhela, Timergara and Swat owing to non-availability of doctors at the hospital.

The residents demanded of the government to take notice of the situation and provide staff to the hospital.