Rs15.148bn disbursed for construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam during current FY, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: A sum of Rs15.148 billion has been disbursed for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam during the current financial year, State Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali told Senate Wednesday.

Responding to the questions of Senators, he said a sum of Rs14.500 billion been disbursed for land acquisition and Rs0.648 billion for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam.

He said Rs14.500 billion has been transferred to district administration, Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan. Moreover Rs4.600 billion released by Finance Division was under process of realization.

He said a sum of Rs17.00 billion has been allocated for land acquisition of the dam in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in 2013-14.

He said Rs8.150 billion has been allocated by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for the construction of the dam during the current financial year on self finance basis.

Giving details of self finance of wapda he said Rs0.497 billion has been spent on constructing preparatory works of Diamer-Bhasha dam during the current financial year. And Rs0.151 billion has also been disbursed in connection with the dam construction from the self-finance basis.

For the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam 37,419 acre land including 18,000 acre of private owners is needed. 3000 acre land belongs to Gilgit-Baltistan.