Wasting away: Solid waste treatment plant in Abbottabad rusting away

PML-N lawmaker raises issue on floor of K-P Assembly, cites wastage of resources

PESHAWAR:

A solid waste treatment plant in Abbottabad has been rusting away for the last four years due to the government’s failure to put it to use, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Friday.

The issue was raised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Ruqia Hina as she questioned the failure to utilise the facility.

Hina rejected the written reply submitted by the local government department, saying it was an attempt to pass the blame onto others for its own failures.

The reply stated the plant was set up through a joint venture between the K-P government and Pakistan State Oil (PSO). It noted that the K-P government provided Rs22 million for this project, while PSO failed to provide its pledged Rs23 million. The department claimed the government invested its share of money, but PSO violated the agreement and failed to put in its half.

The written reply stated that the municipal corporation concerned was considering various options, including involving the private sector to utilise this plant. It said the K-P government issued instructions to the Abbottabad Municipal Corporation to complete the project with the Water & Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) when the latter is launched in the city.

PML-N lawmaker Amna Sardar demanded an investigation into the matter, saying there were certain irregularities in the project. Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan announced that the special secretary for local government would probe the matter. He confirmed that the government would try to kickstart the plant once the WSSC is launched in Abbottabad.

FIRs against female teachers

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Najma Shaheen from Kohat informed the house that her district’s deputy commissioner registered FIRs against 30 women teachers for failing to attend polio vaccination duties. She lamented the fact that teachers were forced to go to remote and dangerous areas without any security or transport, while cases were registered against them if they refused.

Najma was supported by JUI-F lawmaker from Hangu, Mufti Syed Janan, who said most primary schools had two teachers of which one was deputed for polio duty three days a month. He pointed that along with the other holidays and half days, it left little room for meaningful educational activity.

Janan questioned how the DC, who is always surrounded by dozens of security personnel, can determine the position of these teachers and order the registration of FIRs.

Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman also concurred with lawmakers and said FIRs could not be registered against the teachers. He said the government should devise an alternate mechanism instead of forcing teachers to perform polio duties against their will. He believed such a move would contribute greatly towards employment.

Inayatullah Khan also agreed that FIRs could not be registered against teachers for their absence and the DC can only issue show-cause notices.

He also proposed that the house should adopt a policy to allow teachers to take classes at girls’ primary schools as there is a shortage of them (teachers) in rural areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2015.