By Our Correspondent  

CHITRAL, Feb 8, 2010: The elders of Bumburate and Rumbur areas have criticised the federal minister for minorities for ignoring Kalash people, saying they needed funds for construction of roads and providing basic amenities of drinking water, education and health to the residents of the three valleys of the community.

Katar Singh, Saiful Jan and Wazirzada said that although Kalash valleys were known as tourism spots yet no development work had been carried out in the areas. They said that people known for their unique culture were suffering from abject poverty.

Criticising the indifference of federal minister for minorities, they said that not a single penny had been spent for amelioration of Kalash people during the past two years. They urged the minister to pay attention to the problems of Kalash people.

They regretted that many schemes of communication, drinking water and education initiated by former parliamentarian M.P. Bhandara were still incomplete.

The Kalash elders proposed special initiatives for the promotion of tourism in the valleys which, they said, would provide employment opportunities to thousands of people. They said that construction of roads was must for exploiting the tourism potential of the valleys.--Dawn