A parliamentary panel has been informed that the PC-1 cost of Diamer-Bhasha Dam is expected to increase by Rs 31 billion. The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform met here with Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani in the chair on Friday. The committee met to consider and finalize recommendations of the members on the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2018-19.
The officials of the Water and Power Divisions informed the committee that the cost of land purchase for Diamer-Bhasha Dam is around Rs 50 billion while the cost for rehabilitation of affected people is Rs 51 billion. The PC-1 cost of Diamer-Bhasha Dam is expected to increase by Rs 31 billion.
The committee was further informed that the federal government has released Rs 72.7 billion for Diamer-Bhasha Dam out of the total allocation of Rs 101 billion. Of the disbursed amount, Rs 62 billion have been released to WAPDA. About 85 percent land for the dam has been purchased. Total cost of the dam is estimated to be Rs 1,450 billion, of which Rs 650 billion will be spent on the dam construction, the officials added.
The parliamentary panel was further informed that the Prime Minister has constituted a committee for resolution of dispute in Gilgit-Baltistan. The officials further said that 1,500 acres of land are required for Dasu Dam. The World Bank has agreed to finance the land purchasing for Dasu Dam, which falls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the profit of the dam will go to the province.
Senator Mohsin Aziz from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protested over non-inclusion of their projects in the upcoming Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2018-19 and alleged that only 15 percent of the allocated funds in 2017-18 were released to the province.
He said that meager allocations for their projects are the reasons for rejecting the budget 2018-19. Expressing serious reservations over little allocations for projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aziz walked out of the committee in protest.
The committee recommended for establishing the institute of technology in Karak. The committee further recommended for increase in the budget allocation for Aviation Division. The parliamentary panel also recommended for conducting scientific survey for natural resources in Balochistan province and for early release of funds to complete the survey timely. The committee also recommended for early release of funds against the ongoing development funds in Balochistan province.
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