June 26, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 25,1424

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PESHAWAR, June 25: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) released Rs1.5 billion on account of net hydel profit share to the NWFP on Wednesday.

Wapda’s accounts show that the latest disbursement rose the total amount released to the province under this head during the out-going financial year to Rs6billion.

But this payment has apparently added to the already sored working relationship between the NWFP government and Wapda over the contentious issue of share’s payment.

In an official communique to the finance division, Islamabad,— also dispatched on Wednesday— the provincial government has taken the stand that Wapda is still required to pay Rs1 billion to disburse the full amount of Rs6 billion capped share of the net profit to the province for fiscal 2002-03.

The provincial government, said sources, was of the stand that it had received Rs5 billion, including Rs1.5 billion released on Wednesday.

“They do not account for the Rs1 billion Wapda deducted at source from its (NWFP’s) net hydel profit accounts to forcefully recover the electricity arrears owed by the provincial government’s departments and their attached wings,” said a senior government functionary.

The provincial government has requested the finance division to make Wapda pay the Rs1 billion it (the authority) deducted at source without any authority.

The province has reiterated the stand that Wapda is not authorized to make book adjustments from the provincial governments’ accounts as these powers rest only with the federal government.

The provincial government is also likely to bring its stand on record at the provincial assembly’s forum on Thursday when NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani would conclude his speech to wind up the debate on the province’s budget for the next financial year.