The federal government has allocated Rs 4.50 billion for three mega projects of greater water supply and sewerage projects for Mirpur city and adjoining hamlets besides a longest-ever Rathua-Harrayam Bridge in the district.
This was revealed at a high level meeting chaired by the Commissioner Mangla Dam Affairs Chaudhry Amir Afzal at his office here on Monday. The consultant firm engaged in all the three mega projects briefed the meeting about the phased construction work on the projects.
Top AJK government officials including Secretary Works Muhib Ullah Naqvi, Chief Engineer PWD Chaudhry Fazal Hussain, Chief Engineer central design office PWD Khawaja Manzoor Ahmed, Superintending Engineer PWD Mirpur division Chaudhry Ilyas Ahmed, SE Public Health Engineering department Ishtiaq Ahmed Sayed, Executive Engineer Buildings Chaudhry Masood Ali, XEN Mangla dam affairs Tanvir Ahmed Qureshi, Deputy Director Designs Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique and head of Public Relations division Mangla Dam Affairs Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed attended the meeting.
Construction work on all the three projects would start soon and the federal government will complete the development schemes from its special funds, Amir Afzal told the meeting.
The federal government has released the funds of Rs 670 million for execution of the construction work on all the three projects of mega bridge and greater water supply and sewerage schemes.
Elaborating the projects, the Mangla Dam Affairs Commissioner said that Rs 3.08 billion will be spent on the construction of the greater water supply and sewerage project in Mirpur city and adjoining hamlets to be completed under the spirit of the already-reached agreement on the ongoing Mangla Dam Raising project. Whereas Rs 1.40 billion will be spent on Rathua-Harrayam Bridge over Mangla dam lake. He said that over two kilometer long cable-stayed bridge would be first of its kind not only in Pakistan but in entire south Asia. The population of Mirpur city, Kotli district as well as Dadayal, Chakswari and Islamgarh will be benefited with the better travelling facilities since the bridge would reduce the travelling time between Mirpur and the said stations to greater extent, he added.
The commissioner further said that the federal government has allocated Rs 400 million for the first phase of the water supply and sewerage network besides earmarking Rs 270 million for the first phase of Rathua-Harrayam bridge between Mirpur city and adjoining town of Islamgarh.
He said that the process for implementation of the development package for the resettlement of the victims of the Mangla Dam raising project has been accelerated under an integrated plan to ensure its completion within the stipulated timeframe, he added.
The commissioner revealed that the process of payment of compensation to the new victims has started and a total of Rs 32 billion will be spent for resettlement and rehabilitation of the families displaced following the mega project of exceptional national importance.
He further said that the government is determined to implement the compensatory package in letter and spirit by extending maximum relief to the victims in line with the stipulated payment structure.