KHYBER: Tehreek Haqoog Mutasireen Jabba Dam in Jamrud have demanded due share in royalty, employment and a development package for the affected families of the proposed site of the dam.
Addressing a press conference at Jamrud Press Club on Sunday, Irfan Afridi and others said that Jabba Dam project was very important for national development, provision of both irrigation and drinking water, promotion of agriculture and tourism but the proposed project had negatively impacted farmland, houses and orchards of local residents.
They said that local residents sacrificed their properties and farmland for the sake of national interest and deserved to be duly compensated for their losses.
They stated that Articles 9, 14, 24, and 25 of the Constitution guaranteed the rights to life and property, dignity, equality and social security for all citizens.
Therefore, they argued, providing permanent developmental and financial benefits to those affected by such projects was a constitutional obligation of the government.
Irfan Afridi said on the occasion that the government mustallocate special share in royalty from the dam along with reserving special quota for the affected families in tourism, security, fishing, boating and transport fields.
He also demanded creation of a permanent Jabba Dam benefits committee for the affected families, giving preference to affeeted residents in all the trading activities at the dam site.
Calling for transparency in acquisition of land for the dam, he demanded that the government should furnish them actual information about the total land required for the dam and that how much of the land so far has been acquired.
JI DEMO: Meanwhile, Jamaat-i1slami Khyber chapter held a protest demonstration in Landi Kotal on Sunday against rising prices of fuel and gas and the consequent rise in inflation in the country.
Led by local Jamaat-i-Islami leader Murad Hussain, the demonstrators alleged that the government had failed to curb the rising prices of essential commodities.
They also criticised the authorities for not reducing domestic fuel prices in line with the decline in petroleum prices in the international market. Correspondent