Cabinet for shared understanding on dams: CCI to be reconstituted

The government, in a significant move on the eve of new year, decided on Saturday to reconstitute the Council of Common Interests and also what could be seen as a major policy shift, decided to achieve ''shared understanding'' on the building of large water reservoirs.
Briefing journalists here at the PID Media Centre, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said that these decisions were made during the Cabinet meeting, with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair.
"The cabinet endorsed Prime Minister''s decision to reconstitute the Council of Common Interests, a constitutional requirement to be met after every eight years," the minister pointed out.
The meeting, he added, had unanimity of views that large water reservoirs were the dire need of the country. However, some cabinet members objected to the proposed Kalabagh Dam (KBD) and insisted for guarantees in this connection.
Wapda Chairman and secretary gave detailed briefing on feasibility and designing of Kalabagh, Bhasha, Akori and Munda dams to the members, and it was also decided that such briefings would also be given to the provincial cabinets and assemblies, the information minister said.
To a question about ''shared understanding'', Sheikh Rashid explained that the government instead of going for a national consensus, would now take the decision on the basis of majority, a hint at construction of Kalabagh Dam even without consensus.
About taking out a canal from proposed KBD, he said that no decision yet was taken in this context and added that the government was ready to give any type of guarantee, be it constitutional, legal or executive.
Sheikh Rashid brushed aside the impression, created by some elements that the decisions to build KBD could lead to possible harm to the federation.
The minister made it clear that the technical committee in its report had not rejected the Kalabagh Dam.
In response to a question, the information minister said that there would be no let up in dealing with miscreants. "We will not present flowers to those who fired rockets close to the venue of President Musharraf''s function," he said.
Sheikh Rashid said that miscreants have set up camps where they are giving subversive training to innocent people of Balochistan.
The meeting, he added, also reviewed the government performance during 2005 and the Prime Minister paid tributes to the nation for showing unity in the wake of the earthquake and successfully meeting the post-tremor challenges.