Rain, hailstorm damage crops in Karak
Archive
KARAK: Heavy downpour coupled with hailstorm played havoc in Chountra area here on Saturday, damaging standing crops and vegetables.
The rain and hailstorm started in the afternoon and continued for about an hour, causing extensive damage to crops and vegetables. However, no loss of life was reported from any part of the district.
Electricity polls and trees were also knocked down, suspending power supply to the entire Chountra.
Talking to reporters, district president of the farmers’ association Iqbal Khan Khattak demanded that Chountra be declared as calamity hit and compensation be paid to the affected farmers.
ROYALTY FUNDS: Members of the Qaumi Ittehad of Latamber union council have sought release of Rs150 million oil and gas royalty funds for launching development projects in the area.
Speaking at meeting here on Saturday, they lamented that not a single penny from the oil and gas royalty funds was given to the union council during the last 12 years.
Qaumi Ittehad leaders Zameer Bad Shah, Gul Abbas Khan and Malik Hidaytuallah said Latamber union council was administrative part of Karak tehsil, but politically it was included in PK-41 constituency, thus the UC was kept deprived of royalty funds as Karak tehsil didn’t fall in the same constituency.
They complained that the local MPA Malik Qasim Khan Khattak took the plea that he couldn’t include the union council in the developmental funds as Latamber was part of Karak tehsil, while on the other hand, the lawmaker in PK-40 constituency wasn’t ready to give them their due share on the plea that Latamber wasn’t part of PK-40.
They said the area roads, particularly the main artery linking Latamber with Karak district headquarters and Bannu were in bad shape.
They also complained about shortage of potable water and said people had to purchase the commodity. The elders said the union council could be supplied water from Changhoz dam through a gravity scheme.
Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2015
On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play
