ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: In an apparent shift from its earlier position of soliciting a national consensus on the construction of Kalabagh dam and other water reservoirs, the federal cabinet on Saturday decided to go ahead with the plan even on achieving ‘sheer understanding’.

The government has also decided to revive and reconstitute the Council of Common Interests (CCI) immediately. Saturday’s special cabinet session was chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the CCI’s revival after an eight-year lapse was “a constitutional requirement” and disclosed that it would discuss all national issues, including water reservoirs.

Following a six-hour briefing by Wapda officials on Kalabagh, Basha, Munda and Akori dams, Mr Ahmed said the cabinet decided to go ahead with the construction of water reservoirs even on the basis of “sheer understanding”. However, Mr Ahmed said, the government would continue its efforts to achieve a consensus among stakeholders.

The minister said cabinet members had expressed satisfaction over their year-long performance and the prime minister had lauded them for their good work.

Sources said some ministers had spoken out against the adverse effects of big dams on Sindh and NWFP provinces following the briefing but the officials concerned tried to ease their fears.

Despite an earlier announcement, none of the four chief ministers attended the cabinet meeting. When asked about their absence from the cabinet meeting, the information minister said: “They were not supposed to attend the federal cabinet meeting”.

The cabinet assured anti-Kalabagh dam supporters that their fears and reservations would be effectively and promptly addressed and they would be given administrative or constitutional guarantees, the minister said.

He refused to give any tentative date for the announcement of Kalabagh dam’s construction but said that the president, cabinet and parliament were thinking in unison on the question of water reservoirs.

The cabinet is unanimous in its support for new water reservoirs for the sake of economic development, farming and electricity. It has directed Wapda to arrange similar briefings for provincial governments and officials.

In reply to a question about the fears of dam affectees in the NWFP, the minister said the issue had been addressed by the dam plan and it has been decided to settle the displaced people in model colonies to be constructed within five kilometres of their present abodes.

The minister said cabinet members were allowed to speak about their reservations in the meeting and a number of them talked about guarantees to the provinces opposed to the dam.

In reply to a query about the opposition’s boycott of the government’s briefing on water reservoirs, he said the prime minister had offered to include experts from the opposition to be associated with the briefing and express their point of view.

In order to give opinion makers a better understanding of the dams issue, the minister said, water reports had been published for the general public and briefings had been arranged.

He claimed that none of the three reports made public so far had given a thumbs down to new water reservoirs and that all members of A.G.N. Abbasi’s committee had actually favoured Kalabagh dam’s construction.

He said that a decision had not been taken yet on providing canals from KBD as Sindh had opposed the plan. He said the total estimated cost of 4 dams was not worked out but the estimated cost of KBD was $6.1 billion as indicated in September this year.

Mr Ahmed emphatically told a questioner that there was no military operation going on in Balochistan and whatever action was being taken was against those who target government installations and functionaries.

Speaking to the cabinet, Mr Aziz said that there was no denying the fact that the country was in dire need of more water reservoirs and that time for a decision had come. At present, he said, Pakistan had only 9 per cent of available water storage capacity and it had to build at least 40 per cent storage for the future.