Senate Standing Water Committee on Water Resources on Friday sought minutes of meeting and copy of agreement signed among governments of Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir for setting up colony for affectees of Neelum Jehlum Hydropower Project (NJHP).
The Committee which met with Shammim Afridi in the chair discussed grievances of the affectees of Neelum Jehlum Hydropower project, seepage problem of Gudwalian Dam (Haripur) and construction of flood protection bunds and rehabilitation of water channels along Thal River in Dukki District.
The committee also directed the WAPDA officials and District Commissioner (DC) Muzaffarabad to provide copies of the agreement and minutes to committee within week to sort out the issue amicably.
The affectees apprised the Senate Panel that WAPDA and the then DC Muzaffarabad had signed an agreement with them for setting up colony for them under resettlement plan for the project.
They had given possession of land for the project immediately keeping in view importance and urgency of the project but colony was not yet set up for them.
Chief Executive Officer, Neelum Jehlum Hydropower Project, Brig. (Retd) Zareen told the committee that cash compensation was given to the affectees.
Earlier, it was decided that Rs 250,000 per family compensation would be paid to them and later the amount was doubled and they were paid Rs 500,000 to each affecteee families.
Regarding construction of flood protection bunds along Thal River, the committee directed the representative of Balochistan government to make PC-1 of the project and submit it to the Ministry of Water Resources.
The committee was told that Federal Flood Commission has already committed to include the project into National Flood Protection Plan-IV.
The Committee also directed the representative of KPK government for preparing concrete plan to address seepage problem of Gudwalian Dam (Haripur).
The committee meeting was attended by Senator Agha Shahzeb Durrani, Syed Sabir Shah, senior officials of Ministry of Water Resources, WAPDA and representatives of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khaber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments.
Originally published by Urdupoint