PESHAWAR, May 7: The opposition and the treasury benches in the NWFP assembly adopted a joint stand against the capping of net hydel profit share of the province, and asked the federal government to ensure payment in accordance with the AGN Kazi formula, here on Wednesday.

PPP’s parliamentary leader Abdul Akbar Khan launched a tirade against Wapda, saying that the utility was violating articles 161 and 154 of the Constitution.

“If we don’t get full amount of the net hydel profit, how would we be able to pay salaries and pension to the provincial government’s employees in the years to come?” Akbar Khan queried.

Sikander Sherpao of PPP-S, Anwar Kamal Khan of PML-N, Maulana Asmat Ullah and Abdul Majid of MMA and Bashir Bilour of ANP also joined forces, criticizing the quarters concerned for “denying the NWFP its due right guaranteed under the Constitution.”

Akbar Khan said the NWFP’s annual net hydel profit share appeared to be much higher than the amount it was being paid currently at an annual rate of Rs6bn—the capped share amount the province has been getting since 1992-93.

Wapda was required to transfer the net profit from the proceeds of sale of hydel power generated by the hydel power generation stations in the NWFP after meeting operational, production and transmission cost of the energy produced. The stations are located at Tarbela, Jabban, Dargai, Malakand and Warsak.

ANP’s Bashir Bilour said the MMA government should not compromise on the rights of the province, and should make a strong case at the upcoming meeting of the National Finance Commission.

PML-N’s Anwar Kamal Khan said that whereas Wapda was making huge profits from the sale of hydel power generated by Tarbela Dam, the NWFP was getting only ‘peanuts’.

“The net hydel profit is of great significance for the cash-strapped NWFP, so the opposition and the treasury should join hands to make the Centre pay the province’s share,” said Mr Kamal.

Sikandar Sherpao of PPP-S said the NWFP government should plead its case effectively at an appropriate forum.

MMA’s Abdul Majid said the four small hydel power generation stations, which had been established with the financial support of the NWFP and were subsequently taken over by Wapda, should be returned to the province so that these could be utilized for the benefit of its people.

NFC: Opposing the distribution of resources among the federation and federating units under the NFC award only on the basis of population, the joint opposition and provincial Finance Minister Siraj-ul-Haq said the arrangement had severely affected the NWFP.

The minister said the federal government should immediately convene a meeting of the NFC (not yet constituted) so that the country could be given a new fiscal plan for the next five years.

The NWFP believed that backwardness should also be taken into consideration for distributing resources from the federal divisible pool instead of taking population as the sole parameter, as is the case at present, the minister said.