Construction of Suki Kinari hydro project: NWFP minister expresses reservations

NWFP Minister for Information and Inter-Provincial Co-ordination, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, has expressed reservations over the construction of Suki Kinari Hydro-Power Project Kaghan in District Mansehra. In a statement here on Wednesday, he termed the construction as injustice with the people of the province and clear violation of provincial autonomy and the decision would not be accepted.
It may be recalled that the provincial government filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), pleading that the provincial government should be empowered to execute the project whether from its own resources or as private venture.
The minister said that the provincial government would not withdraw from the demand of net-profit on hydropower generation located in the province either it was Turbella, Warsak or any other project including the Suki Kinari Project.
He continued that the provincial government should execute the said project through its own resources so that it could increase its resources and strengthen its economy as the provincial government has the capability of completing such type of projects and Malakand-III Hydro Power Project was a recent example of it.
Mian Iftikhar said that the government and its people had the legal and constitutional right over royalty from any power generation unit located in the province and no body could deprive from it any way.
He added that such type of decisions without taking into confidence the provincial government were the conspiracy to disturb the cordial and pleasant relations between the federal and provincial governments, which would not be tolerated any further.
He furthered that even after 30 years of completion of the project, keeping the NWFP province deprived of its legal and constitutional right was beyond comprehension taking over the said project after 30 years by Wapda was also illegal, the minister maintained.