Four water storage dams in Balochistan: Prime Minister seeks report on implementation status

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday directed the Planning Commission to submit report about the implementation status of the construction of four water storage dams in Balochistan with total cost of Rs 36 billion, it is learnt.
According to official sources, no work has been started so far on four dams including Winder Dam, Naulong Dam, Hingol Dam and Pelar Storage Dam due to non-release of funds against the PSDP allocation worth billions of rupees. The Prime Minister also sought a report on implementation status of construction of other 20 small dams/delay action Package-1(Revised) has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on 09-12-2010, at a cost of Rs 4.55 billion.
The sources said physical work on package-1 is in full swing. Out of 20 small dams, almost 7 dams have been completed, 5 dams have been completed more than 70 per cent and remaining work would be completed up to June, 2012. The sources said that total PSDP allocations 2010-11, amounting to Rs 496.933 million have been released to the project authorities. A sum of Rs 600 million has been allocated for the financial year 2011-12.
Similarly about Pelar Storage Dam out of four dams, the official sources said that during the financial year 2011-12, out of Rs 50 million PSDP allocations, no funds have been released so far. They said that the original project was approved by ECNEC on 3-09-2009 at cost of Rs 1.692 billion. While revised project costing Rs 14.736 billion is under process of approval, they said.
About Winder dam, the sources said that no funds have been released so far against the PSDP allocation Rs 1 billion for financial year 2011-12. The construction has been awarded but work could not be initiated by the contractor because of court proceedings. Original project was approved by ECNEC on 3-09-2009 at cost of Rs 1.696 billion. The Revised project costing Rs 11.026 billion is under processing of approval. About Hingol Dam, the sources said that no funds have been released so far against the PSDP allocation Rs 700 million for year 2011-12. No work has started up till now due to non-approval of the PC-I and availability of funds. About Naulong Dam, the sources said that no funds have been released so far against the PSDP allocation Rs 1 billion for 2011-12. The work could not be started in financial year 2011 due to non-release of funds. During January 2012, a sum of Rs 800 million has been released. Wapda through EAD with the help of Chinese leading firms is approaching Chinese Government for preferential buyer's credit (about 3 % interest).