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| March 12, 2003 | Wednesday | Muharram 8, 1424 |
WB demands recovery of Rs33bn Wapda dues
ISLAMABAD, March 11: The World Bank has asked the government to recover immediately Rs33 billion outstanding public sector power dues and prepare a midterm financial improvement plan for Wapda based on ground realities.
The WB was given an assurance by the water and power minister, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, that all disputed matters including settlement of corruption cases against 42 people involved in the misappropriation of funds in Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project would be resolved within two weeks time, official sources told Dawn.
A meeting between country representative of the World Bank, John Wall, with Pakistan government team led by Mr Sherpao, was held on Monday.
Wapda Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Khan, along with his finance team, Dr Tariq Hassan, advisor to the PM’s advisor on finance, and representatives of the National Accountability Bureau, NWFP and Sindh governments attended the meeting.
Official sources said that the meeting was convened on a special demand from the WB country representative to give definite timeframe to the bank for the settlement of outstanding issues pertaining to Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project (GBHP) and Tarbela Dam affected people.
The WB representative, sources said, expressed satisfaction over Wapda’s efforts to improve its performance but noted that major weakness were mainly because of federal government’s failure to take timely decisions.
The bank official proposed three measures to improve Wapda’s financial position that included midterm Financial Improvement Plan (FIP); generation of electricity through local component; and immediate recovery of Wapda receivables from the public sector.
The power minister agreed with the suggestions and assured him to take up the issue of receivables with Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.
On the question of GBHP, sources said, the WB had been assured that all the agreed measures would be completed in a couple of weeks.
The government also agreed to extend Rs1.6 million to NWFP as its share for the construction of 225 plots for the affected people of Kala Dhaka, who were displaced at the time of Tarbela Dam construction. The amount would be paid against NWFP’s demand of Rs4 million.
The Finance Ministry, NWFP and Sindh governments had agreed to pay Rs56 million each to clear those affected people who refused to accept plots and were not ready to move out of the adjoining areas where they have now set up their businesses.
The finance ministry said it was ready to pay its Rs56 million share anytime while NWFP sought a couple of weeks to clear its share. Sindh was, however, did not give a definite time frame for payment of its share but promised to do so very soon as the Sindh chief secretary could not be immediately reached in Karachi.
The representative of NAB told the meeting that 15 out of 42 accused of the GBHP land scandal including five Patwaris had been released on bail.
The remaining accused who had received money higher than the price fixed by Ghazi Barotha Tarqiatee Idara (GBTI) at the time of land acquisition had been asked to repay the extra amount by April 30, 2003, the NAB official told the World Bank.
An official statement said that lists of those who were to return the excess amount based on GBTI 1998 Action Plan and those who received compensation fraudulently and for fake orchards would be displayed at the District Nazim office and other prominent places.
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