28 August 2004	Saturday	11 Rajab 1425

PESHAWAR, Aug 27: The federal government has not responded yet to a letter from the NWFP government seeking a written commitment in respect of increasing by Rs2 billion the province's net hydel profit share for the current financial year.

"A response to the provincial government's request is still awaited from the centre," said an official source. In the annual budget, the provincial government had pitched its net hydel proceeds for the 2004-05 at Rs8 billion against the capped share of Rs6 billion the NWFP has been receiving for several years.

Presenting the budget for 2004-05, the chief minister and the finance minister had claimed that the proposed increase had been made part of calculations on the basis of a verbal commitment to the effect made by then prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

In July, the provincial government sent a dispatch to the centre, requesting it to confirm that the province would receive Rs8 billion in line with the verbal commitment by the former prime minister.

"The federal government led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain did not respond to the provincial government's request and the matter is now left to the incoming government," a source close to Finance Minister Sirajul Haq said.

Though Mr Haq had showed optimism in a recent statement that the province would get the additional amount of Rs2 billion, official quarters and opposition politicians cast doubts on Peshawar's chances of getting anything more than Rs6 billion.

"I don't think there is anything in writing from the federal government in respect of the expected amount," said Sikandar Sherpao, MPA. Similar views were expressed by PPP's parliamentary leader in the NWFP assembly, Abdul Akbar Khan, and Haji Mohammed Adeel of the Awami National Party.