By Mumtaz Alvi
The inter-ministerial committee on Monday failed to evolve a consensus on a compensation package for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam victims. It will again meet on March 10 on this count, The News learnt here.
The Secretary Interior, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), differed with the secretary Kashmir Affairs and chief secretary GB on the facts and figures regarding the population to be rendered homeless, their compensation and rates of their land, a source privy to the meeting told this correspondent.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Mian Manzoor Wattoo presided over a ministerial committee meeting on Diamer-Bhasha Dam here. Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Labour and Manpower Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
Speaking at a news conference here, Wattoo and Kaira had said on February 23 that a subcommittee, headed by GB Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, would thrash out a compensation package and present it to the ministerial committee for approval on March 1. However, the committee could not approve the proposed package and had to extend the date on this count. According to estimates, a population of 28,650 inhabitants would be affected by the proposed project, which would utilise 0.3 million-kanal piece of land and as many as 31 villages and 5,500 families would be dislocated.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had formed the ministerial committee on heels of a firing incident that had claimed two lives during a protest rally, taken out by the victims of the dam in Chilas.
It was learnt that the people of GB and the NWFP were not prepared to review their demand of Rs 2.5 million per kanal land, whereas the government wanted to purchase it at Rs 0.5 million per kanal.
A handout by the Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan said the ministerial committee reviewed the proposals and recommendations submitted by the subcommittee on Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
“By and large, the committee showed satisfaction over these proposals and recommendations, but on some issues, it asked the subcommittee to make clarifications and submit them in the ministerial committee meeting, slated for March 10,” it said.
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Nuqta-e-Nazar