Compensation sought for stranded passengers

Chitral -- Chitralis have demanded compensation for stranded passengers due to blockade of roads because of NHA negligence.

Wg Cdr (r) Fardad Ali Shah Patron All Pensioners Association Chitral and PPP leader, has demanded adequate compensation for passengers like putting them up in Hotels and rest houses in Dir, at the expense of the NHA, when they get stranded frequently on the Lowari road because of negligence of the NHA in removing snow.

 He said other parts of Pakistan which are higher in altitude like Murree, Kaghan, Malam Jabba etc donot get blocked for more than few hours and the road is cleared immediately, but in Chitral, road blocks continue for days on end. He said the reason was lack of accountability of the road maintaining agency.

He said, unfortunately the NHA has been trying hard to deny the complete benefit of the Lowari tunnel to the passengers on one pretext or the other. Filling up ditches inside the tunnel is a monkey's job and can be done in a day, but the NHA authorities project it as the most difficult thing in the world, and there is no body with authority to challenge them.. Similarly keeping the tunnel closed for 22 hrs in a day when no work is going on inside is also ridiculous and devoid of any other reason except a sadistic mind set on the part the tunnel managers/operators.

He asked the NHA authorities to fear God and not consider the NHA as their personal fiefdom, where they can  tease the poor people at will.

He also demanded complete and thorough cleaning of the Lowari pass road for heavy traffic, before declaring it open, unlike last year when a half cleared road led to many accidents and vehicle breakups while the cleaning contractor was paid full money.  --(CN report, 12 Mar 2011)