Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda said on Monday that Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 4,320MW Dasu Hydropower Project and work on it would be started shortly. Speaking at a presser here, Vawda said the project has been facing a delay for the last three-and-a-half years which costs Rs 300-360 million daily to the national kitty.
"The project will generate 4,320MW electricity if it is completed, as it was politicised in the past and national interest was neglected," he added. He said that an investigation into the delay is under way to fix the responsibility, adding the country suffered loss of billions of rupees due to this "criminal" negligence of past rulers who preferred vested interests over national issues.
Vawda said the past government had taken loan for Dasu project without acquiring land for it, adding efforts would not only be made to curtail its cost but also to compete it within next four years. He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) inaugurated 34 projects without arranging funds and only two could be completed. However, he said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would start work on these projects as funds have been arranged.
He said that the issues pertaining to land acquisition for Dasu Dam were resolved through negotiations instead of resorting to baton-charge, which the PML-N government used to do. He said that legislation has been made through the River Act and now it is the responsibility of the provinces to remove encroachments in the flood plains to reduce the losses of public and private properties.
He said that a special plan has been devised for Sindh which would be a surprise for the people and the name of Prime Minister Imran Khan would be written in history with golden words, but he did add that the Prime Minister would announce the plan himself.
Vawda said that some political actors are busy conspiring against state institutions, which will not be allowed, adding, "The government would not bow down and the ongoing process of accountability would continue till we get rid of the corrupt."
Replying to a question regarding the video scandal involving Judge Arshad Malik, he said that every institution has its own complaint centre, adding the judiciary is an independent institution and would look into the matter.
He said that such tactics were used against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and now the same forces are out to malign and degrade the judiciary to hamper the accountability process and save the skin of the corrupt.
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