The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved ''Construction of Palai Dam (Revised PC-1)'', costing Rs 911.143 million, for completion within the current financial year 2011-12. The dam is located in FATA, where there is disturbance due to militancy.
According to documents available with Business Recorder, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) would bear the cost of land watershed management, chakbandi and dam electrification amounting to Rs 48.026 million from provincial resources. Chief (Water) introduced this project and said that the project was approved by CDWP in 2004 but work could not be started due to financial constraint.
The cost estimates of the original PC-1 were not compatible with prevailing market rate of 2007 as the estimates were based on CSR 1999 without premium. The updated/revised PC-I costing Rs 441.020 million was approved by the CDWP on November 3, 2007 and actual work was initiated. The project once again could not be completed within approved cost and scheduled implementation period due to change in basic design, price escalation, 2010 flood damages to some newly constructed portion of dam and abnormal increase in cost of land.
Now the KP government has come up with revised PC-1 costing Rs 911.143 million for completion within current financial year 2011-12. Official sources said that the representatives of KP government responded that change in design is based on the findings and recommendations of feasibility study and recent flood discharge. Chief (Water) submitted that as the project design has been changed by the consultant without consultation of stakeholders, therefore, responsibility of efficacy of design and value for money rest with provincial government.