LAHORE, Aug 3: Governor Khalid Maqbool on Thursday asked officials concerned to liberally pay those whose land had been or was being acquired for the greater Thal Canal as the project was aimed at benefiting the people.

He was presiding over a meeting held at the Governor’s House to identify problems regarding the execution of the Rs30.46 billion project which would be completed in three phases.

Senior officials of Wapda, Punjab irrigation and agriculture departments, parliamentary secretary Waris Kalloo, former Khushab nazim Ehsanullah Tiwana and Noorpur Thal tehsil nazim Haji Said Rasul attended the meeting.

The governor was informed that Rs3,985 million had been earmarked for land acquisition for the project. As many as 6,817 acres of land had been acquired for phase I and 40 per cent required for the phase II. Payments to around 70 per cent landowners had been made in Khushab district and the delay, if any, was due to non-cooperation by officials concerned of the district government.

The Khushab DCO said the problem was that the government was paying less to landowners. He was supported by Mr Kalloo who demanded market rates for the acquired land.

Responding to this, the governor said the project was aimed at welfare of the people, directing officials concerned to liberally pay those whose land was being acquired for it.

The governor ordered inclusion of the concrete lining of water channels in the project, and digging of a branch line in Noorpur Thal tehsil, which was earlier marked for building reservoir of the Thal Canal.

He ordered adoption of modern irrigation methods like sprinkler and drip irrigation to save water, construction of a spur to save nine villages in Khushab, and re-modelling of bridges built higher than the ground level.

The governor asked the officials concerned to make it sure that all pumps and tubewells were functioning to control water-logging and salinity in 64km land in the Khushab district because of water seepage from Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal which would feed the Greater Thal Canal.

He approved a scheme forwarded by a senior Wapda official who said a survey involving Rs20 million had been ordered to assess the extent of water-logging and to suggest a remedy for it.

The governor appreciated the president’s water vision under which dams were being constructed, canals remodelled and concrete lined for the first time in country’s history.

Mr Maqbool also lauded the Punjab government for earmarking Rs15 billion for concrete lining of watercourses in the province.

He directed Wapda officials to hand over the Scarp Colony in Khushab to the departmernt concerned for a sub-campus of the University of Arid Agriculture where classes would start from September.