DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Faisal Karim Kundi has vowed to work together with his political opponents for the development of Dera Ismail Khan.
He was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of Vegetable and Fruit market’s Anjuman Traders held here in the Dera Press Club which was also addressed by Union President Munawar Zarif, Dera Press Club President Muhammad Yasin Qureshi, Central Anjuman Traders General Secretary Haji Muhammad Ramzan and Senior Vice President Chaudhry Muhammad Jameel.
The state minister said all the politicians would contest elections against each other but work collectively for the development and prosperity of Dera Ismail Khan.
He assured the traders of the vegetable and fruit market that he would get their issues resolved through the Secretary of Agriculture.
He said whenever his party came into power, half of the time is spent on the restoration of the offices back to Dera Ismail Khan which shifted from there.
He was of the view that closure or transfer of government offices from any area leads to loss of prestige and good name of the local people of the area.
Faisal Kundi said the 40-year-old PIA office was closed during the previous tenure which was restored in last year.
He said the Aviation ministry has taken several steps regarding the construction and expansion of the airport in Dera and the progress in this regard was yet underway.
He said the offices of Pakistan Television (PTV), Press Information Department (PID) and Associated Press of Pakistan were also restored in Dera Ismail Khan.
The state minister said today the employees of many departments in Dera Ismail Khan were crying about non-payment of their pensions and salaries. Unfortunately, the responsibility for this issue is on the politicians as most of them care about Class-IV recruitments rather than the survival of the institutions.
The Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) was a profitable institution which become unable to pay salaries to its employees despite there being a number of commercial shops and plazas owned by this institution, he was astonished.
He said a large number of employees were recruited by Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) who were serving the officers and favoured politicians.
Faisal Kundi said a proper investigation should be done to identify the responsible for the financial crisis of TMA and WSSC. Strict action should be taken against the responsible whether it was a politician or an officer of the department.
However, he said, he had talked with the higher authorities regarding the nonpayment of salaries to the protesting employees of WSSC for the last five months.
He said that the circle office of WAPDA has been established in Dera.
The burn unit in the Mufti Mahmood hospital, which was being run by the doctors themselves, has opened after the provision of necessary equipment worth Rs 8 million by Hidayat Ullah Kundi.
Moreover, he said, the machines have been provided for TB patients in the hospital.
Commenting on the May 9 vandalism, the state minister said such incidents were not acceptable at any cost. He said the sacrifices of the security forces were matchless.
The instigators and the perpetrators of the May 9 incidents should be given exemplary punishment.