DADU, March 3 The development work on Rs200 million Gorakh Hill Station mega project, which has been going on with fits and starts since it started in 1998, has come to a grinding stop since last year's countrywide heavy rains about eight months ago.

Gorakh Hill, the tallest mountain of Khirthar Range is located to the west of Dadu town, 94 kilometres from here. The hill's peak, which is 5,688 feet above sea level, makes it the coldest spot in the province where climate remains chilly throughout the year in sharp contrast to unbearably high temperatures elsewhere in Sindh.

This correspondent found on a visit to the area on Monday that heavy boulders, which fell on main double-track road up till Khawal Luk during last year's heavy rains, had on the one hand stopped tourists' from reaching the hilltop and on other it had seriously scuttled the development work. The contractors and officials concerned seemed least interested in removing the heavy stones.

DCO Aijaz Ahmed Mangi who is also first director general of the authority said that they would start removing the heavy boulders from the road and it would take them about a month to clear the path.

The Gorakh Hill Station Development Authority had claimed to have completed before rains a 54-kilometre single track road from Wahi Pandhi to the hilltop at a cost of Rs143.893 million. The authority had started work on laying a double track road but for rains, which disturbed its plans, he said.

Mud-sliding caused by heavy rains damaged many parts of the road from Wahi Pandhi to Khawal Luk but nothing had been done to start work on its repairs since the scheme had been completed on documents.

Pakistan People's Party's MPA-elect Pir Mazharul Haq accused the officers of Gorakh hill authority of embezzling millions of rupees and said he had collected evidence about corruption in the project. The corruption charges would be investigated after PPP formed government, he said.

The government had allocated Rs49.589 million for water supply scheme from Hingan to the hill top and released payment to contactor in advance. The scheme was scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2007 but it has still not been completed.

The government had approved Rs999 million for hill station project and work on it had started in August 1998. In 2006-07, Rs200 million were allocated for the project, which is funded by provincial and federal governments on 50-50 per cent basis.

Many governments since 1952 up till this day have announced projects and prepared plans for the development of the area into a tourist destination but few ever saw the light of the day.