July 4, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 22,1423

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SKARDU, July 3: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has started probe into a Rs15 million power plant’s scam, in Ghanche District, Baltistan, source said.

They told Dawn that the NAB officials had begun to collect data about the failure of Baley Gond Hydel Power Station of 1.5 megawatt and visited the site in Marzi Gond where it was being constructed, some 15km from Khaplu.

The project was okayed in 1988 and scheduled to be built at Baley Gond. But the then engineers concerned started constructing it at some other site where it was not technically feasible. That was the reason that every two-three years of the completion of its water channel and four bay, it used to be washed away by flood during the summer season.

Though people of the area had been demanding to built the project at its original site in Baley Gond, the authorities did nothing to address this problem.

Thus, this Rs1.5 million project, despite costing the exchequer Rs100 million, could not be completed in 14 years. And now, reportedly, additional Rs50 million are being spent to complete it.

The reasons remain unknown as to why the engineers and authorities concerned wanted to built it at a wrong site and what factors made them force to show this project at Baley Gond hydel project, though it was being constructed at Marzi Gond town.

The people have welcomed the probe into the scam.