SHANGLA: The residents of Martung and Dedal Kamach areas have complained about lack of education and health facilities thanks to apathy of the authorities concerned, particularly local lawmakers.

They raised their problems at a jirga held in Kotki Nasak, a remote area in Martung tehsil, the other day.

Elders from Dedal Kamach, Nakhtaro, Nusrat Khail, Nawy Kaly and adjoining areas were present.

Special secretary irrigation Aurangzeb was the chief guest.

The locals said that communities living in the areas were poverty-stricken as they had no sources of income. They complained that often serious patients died before reaching hospitals because of lacl< of health facilities in the localities.

Guli Afsar, a local notable, said many women and children died while being taken to hospitals, but the elected representatives were not bothered.

Sultan Nabi, a member of district council, said a hospital was built in the area over four years ago but it was yet to be made functional. He said educational facilities were also next to nil due to which their children could not get education. Mr Nabi said people had to travel miles to reach hospitals in Swat and Buner districts, and pointed out that the local residents were also deprived of mobile phone services.

Majid Khan from far-flung Arwa village said that his hamlet had no school, road, hospital and electricity.

The jirga members demanded of the government to make sure provision of basic facilities to their villages.

Secretary irrigation Mr Aurangzeb assured the people that he would convey their problems to the relevant authorities. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was focused on turning around education and health sectors. Mr Aurangzeb said Shangla had natural resourcesinabundance,butroadinfrastructureneeded tobeimprovedtoexploitthepotential.-Correspondent