Gas royalty funds fail to bring change in Kohat

KOHAT: Kohat district has been receiving a big amount of oil and gas royalty every year, but no corresponding development could be seen in any sector.

District executive officer (finance) Wahidur Rehman Khattak told Dawn that Kohat district had been getting royalty since 2011 according to the ratio of production from the local oil and gas wells.

He said that in 2014-15 Kohat received over Rs61 million in royalty of which 50 per cent was given to the oil and gas producing constituency. Similarly, in 2013-14 the companies gave Rs41 million and so on.

Answering a question, he said that for unknown reasons no mega project could be started.

He admitted that condition of hospitals, roads and water and electricity supply schemes in Kohat had worsened over the years.

Though 50 per cent of the royalty goes to Shakardarra, condition of its hospital could not be improved.

The town has no water and voltage of electricity remains so low that the scheme for bringing water to the area from Indus River was abandoned several years ago.

An official said on condition of anonymity that the funds were being misused otherwise the royalty funds in addition to the annual share of Kohat from the provincial government could solve all major problems of the district.

Mr Khattak said that the royalty funds were released to contractors for the approved schemes, but unfortunately no development could be seen in the district.

Sources said that the companies had promised to reconstruct the hospital and road, but the lawmakers from the area were employing people of their constituencies and keeping mum about the development projects.

It may be recalled that the oil and gas companies had announced a mobile hospital for Shakardarra to reach the scattered population and establishment of a burns centre in Kohat. Residents said that the lawmakers never bothered to pressurise the companies to help resolve problems of their constituencies.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2016