Mangla dam victims: AJK government to get Rs 4.50 billion for rehabilitation

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said on Thursday the process of giving compensation to Mangla Dam Raising Project victims will be completed by July this year. He said in this regard, an additional amount of Rs 4.50 billion will soon be handed over to Wapda and the AJK government.
He said this while addressing a mammoth public rally at Jatlan town on the outskirts of Mirpur. Wattoo said the raising of water level in Mangla dam would benefit the country, including AJK, with the annual profit of Rs 12 billion in form of power generation and use of water for irrigation purposes.
He said although it was planned to raise water level in the dam from July this year, the raising process would start in line with the wishes of the victims and particularly after the completion of rehabilitation process. He said Wapda and the state government should ensure the completion of the rehabilitation process by July this year. The federal minister further said since President Asif Ali Zardari had assigned him the responsibility as Incharge of Mangla Dam Raising Project, he was closely monitoring the rehabilitation process of the affected families by holding monthly meeting with the concerned authorities including the AJK government.
The Kashmir Affairs Minister said the forthcoming elections to AJK Legislative Assembly would be held in absolutely free, fair and transparent manner and no attempt to rig the polls or to create unrest during the elections would be allowed at any cost. "By holding the forthcoming elections free and fair, we will prove to the world that Pakistan always believe in giving rights to the Kashmiris to their representatives," he added.
He further said India was denying Jammu and Kashmir people their due right of self-determination with the might of her 800,000 military and paramilitary forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir by staging farcical polls drama in the held state, which, he added, can never be the substitute for the right of self-determination.
The minister said, "Since PPP is the prime political force and the true custodian of the due rights of masses across the country, the people of AJK should make the PPP AJK victorious in the forthcoming general elections." Referring to the recent induction of two judges in AJK High Court, including Justice Munir Ahmed Chaudhry and Justice Aftab Ahmed Alvi, Wattoo said because of the high credentials of both the judges, he had strongly recommended for their appointment to the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was also the chairman of AJK Council.