Due to non-payment of funds, more than 100 technical and vocational training centers are at risk of closure in Peshawar, it was learnt on Wednesday. According to the reliable sources, the financial constraints have left employees of these training centers without salaries for the past four months. The sources maintained that out of the allocated budget of Rs690 million, only Rs 322 million has been disbursed so far, effecting thousands of diploma and short courses students in Peshawar. Earlier this week, five private companies running the Peshawar BRT have threatened to stop the operations due to the provincial government’s failure to pay around Rs1 billion in dues.

In a letter penned to KP government, the operator had warned the provincial authorities of closing the Peshawar Bus Transit on June 3 if the government had failed to pay the dues to the operator before Wednesday. The North-South Travels (Pvt) Limited, and East-West Transport (Pvt) Limited, drew the government’s attention to the issue of the non-payment of dues. “This delay has an adverse effect on the operational expenses (procurement of diesel, lubricants and parts, related to electricity and salaries) to the company for the BRT Peshawar operation,” the operator had said in the letter.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP