16 October 2004	Saturday	01 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: Feasibility studies carried out for the controversial Kalabagh Dam have already cost the national kitty almost Rs1 billion, while a consensus is yet to be evolved if the dam is to be constructed or not.

The amount spent on carrying out feasibility studies for the dam was revealed on Friday when MNA Mohammad Hussain Mehanti asked the government to give details of the expenditures in this regard so far.

Water and Power Minister Liaquat Jatoi informed the house that total expenditure on Kalabagh Dam project, including feasibility studies up to August this year, was Rs1.226 billion.

The minister told the house that a payment of Rs981.665 million was made against the PC-II for feasibility studies so far by Wapda. The record placed before the house showed that administration expenses amounting to Rs28.876 million, interest charges of Rs212.618 million and purchase of satellite images worth Rs3.52 million were other expenses incurred on Kalabagh Dam till August 2004.

The house was also informed that Rs2,270 million had been spent on Greater Thal Canal project up to September this year. A sum of Rs804 million would be spent on the project by the end of the current financial year.

The minister said Ghazi Barotha Hydropower project was commissioned in April this year, but payments were yet to be made to the contractors during and after their defect liability certificate time period. A sum of Rs8 billion has been earmarked under the PSDP 2004-05 to make payments to the contractors of the Ghazi Barotha project, he said.

Replying to a question by MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, the water and power minister said water logging had affected 4.869 million acres in the country. Giving province wise break-up of water logged land, he said in the NWFP, 0.84 million acres were affected, while the figures for Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were 1.121 million acres, 3.343 million acres and 0.321 million acres, respectively.

Mr Jatoi said Wapda had so far launched and completed 61 salinity control and reclamation projects, covering a gross area of 15.227 million acres. He said 12.6 million acres of water logged and saline area had so far been reclaimed. He said it was envisaged that 2.369 million acres would be reclaimed.