Dasu Hydro Power Project: Water resources secy for accelerating land acquisition process in Kohistan

PESHAWAR: Ministry of Water Resources Federal Secretary Chaudhery Mohammad Ashraf Tuesday directed to accelerate the process of land acquisition for Dasu Hydro Power Project in Kohistan.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting to review the steps for acquisition of land for Dasu Hydro Power Project at Commissioner House, Abbottabad.

Commissioner Hazara Division Riaz Khan Mehsud, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Upper Kohistan Mohammad Arif Yousafzai and officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and Revenue Department attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that Dasu Hydro Power Project would be constructed with the financial assistance of the World Bank at the cost of Rs511 billion.

The project would produce 4,320 mega watt electricity. For the purpose, a total of 7,559 acres of land would be acquired and out of which the owners of 1,535 acres had already been paid a compensation of Rs4.39 billion while survey for 3,223 land had also been completed and the survey of 1,736 acres was under process.

Appreciating steps of the Revenue Department and district administration for accelerating the process of land acquisition, he said the payment of compensation to the affected owners had resulted in bringing maximum decline in the resistance of the local residents.

He directed the resolution of disputes and reservations of the people regarding the land acquisition through consultations with local elders and guaranteeing early payment of compensation for the remaining land.

He made it clear that Dasu Hydro Power Project would provide maximum benefits to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and district Kohistan and said the cooperation of provincial government with the Ministry of Water Resources and WAPDA was commendable.

On this occasion, the commissioner Hazara Division on behalf of commissioner office and district administration assured full cooperation in the construction of Dasu Dam and said he would soon visit district Kohistan to resolve the disputes of the local residents.

He said development projects would be given priority and all possible steps would be taken to restore the confidence of the local elders and elites.