Budget 2022-23: Minister proposes allocation of 10pc share of PSDP for dams’ construction

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah proposed to allocate 10 percent share of the total cost of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the construction of dams in the coming budget 2022-23.

Responding to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, on Wednesday regarding shortage of water in the country, the minister said that it is very sad to say that the country is going towards a situation of drought. He said that Balochistan had faced severe drought in 1910.

The minister also suggested that the prime minister should also hold a conference to prepare a strategy to face the challenge of water shortage in the country.

He said that there is a dire need for the construction of big and small dams in the country. He said that Cholistan has currently been undergoing a drought over the last several weeks. However, he said that the Sindh government is providing water to the people and their animals through water tankers.

The minister said that the situation of water in Tarbela Dam is not good. He said that a total inflow of water is 90,000 cusecs and outflow is 60,000 cusecs. He said that the water level has reached below the dead level of Mangla Dam. He said that this situation would also affect the economy of the country.

He said that we hope the situation of water in the country would become better after June 15.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif said that the amount of water has not decreased but its use has increased. He said that we are using old technology for the arrangement of water. He also claimed that a significant amount of water is being stolen and influential people are involved in it. He said that the people particularly in the urban areas are wasting water.

The minister said that the media should play its role to create awareness among the people for saving water. He said that today, the people of Balochistan, desert areas and Sindh are facing a severe shortage of water.

Later, the Members National Assembly also condemned the decision of the Indian Court on giving imprisonment to Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik.

MQM Pakistan National Assembly member Osama Qadri said that life imprisonment of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik by Indian kangaroo courts is the darkest moment in history.

He said that MQM stands with the people of Kashmir.

He said that by convicting such freedom-loving youths to life imprisonment, India thinks that the freedom movement will be suppressed.

“Yasin Malik will continue to be born every day. The spirit of freedom is very high among the people of Kashmir”, he said.

Earlier, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf took serious notice of the absence of ministers and relevant officers in the gallery and directed that in view of the importance of question hour, no question should be postponed without a reason.

He asked that Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi to make sure the presence of officers of relevant ministries in the House.

During question hour session, State Minister for Interior Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju informed the House that during the current year about 65 vehicles and 52 motorcycles were recovered by the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC) till-date in the federal capital and handed over to the owners.

Responding to the questions, he said that during 2021, a total of 160 vehicles were recovered by the AVLC from 195 accused persons, stolen from Islamabad and other parts of the country and handed over to the owners.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022