Efforts on to build 32 dams: Ashraf

ISLAMABAD Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday informed the Upper House of the Parliament that the United States had pledged $125 million for the up-gradation of the existent electric power generation infrastructure in the country and it would add 1,000 megawatts electricity to the national grid. Responding to a question, the Minister said that Government was also making efforts to build 32 small and medium-sized dams to overcome the shortage of electricity. An amount of Rs 2 billion has been allocated in the budget 2009-10 for Gomal Zam Dam in South Waziristan Agency while Rs 2.3 billion have already been incurred on the project during the ongoing fiscal year, he said. He further stated that six dams were under various phases of development in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Raja Pervez Ashraf also informed the House that Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved Rs 2,535 million for lining of irrigation channels in NWFP and Rs 8,484 million for rehabilitation of the irrigation infrastructure in the province. He said that Rs 140 million and Rs 200 million had been allocated for the two projects during the current fiscal year respectively. Responding to a supplementary question by PML-Q Senator Naeem Hussain Chatta, the Minister said that Diamer Basha Dam was being constructed to prevent the monsoon water from escaping into the sea. He said the Kalabagh Dam was a controversial project and three provinces had passed resolutions against it. We could have built other major dams had we diverted our opinion from the controversial project, he added. Raja Pervez Ashraf further informed that a consultancy work on a 700 kilometres high power transmission line to import 1100 megawatts electricity from Iran was under study. The study would be completed by the end of the year while the project would take 4-5 years to complete, he said. He also informed that the rental power projects would provide electricity at Rs 6.26 to Rs 16.93 per unit. State Minister for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar wound up the debate on price hike and overall economic situation of the country. She said that Government was making efforts to reduce inflation up to 10 percent by the end of current fiscal year. Earlier, while taking part in the debate, Senator Ahmad Ali said that Pakistan had been blacklisted over money laundering due to the statements of Interior Minister. Senator Ishaq Dar said that the dictatorial regime could not take advantage of the international financial boom up to the year 2007. He said devaluation of Rupee by one rupee against the dollar caused Rs 59 billion loss to the countrys economy.