LAHORE: The Steering Committee for Dasu Hydropower Project could not take decision over the compensation criterion for land owners after it observed that the special committee did not give any recommendation, leaving the final decision on the part of the government keeping in view the options mentioned in its report.

“Actually, the report compiled by special committee members after surveying the areas and holding discussions with the landowners’ representatives had finally left three options under which the land acquisition and compensation issue could be resolved. However, it didn’t recommend anything, requesting the steering committee to take a final decision on its own if it wants to follow any of the three options,” revealed an official privy to the 13th meeting of the Dasu project steering committee that held on Feb 13.

The meeting was attended by the KP chief minister, the federal minister (water resource), Wapda chairman, Dasu project director and other members.

The official, who preferred anonymity, said that reason behind not giving recommendations to the government to take a final decision regarding compensation to the displaced people was the ‘fear’ prevailing among the government officers due to actions of the NAB, Anti-Corruption Establishment, FIA and other law enforcement agencies.

“Since February to date, NAB, the ACE, the FIA and other institutions have picked various government officers in a humiliating way, conducting their media trial. They investigated them on the pretext of various allegations and finally booked them in cases. So, the officers are of the view that whatever being done is just to target and malign the bureaucracy through so called allegations. So, the situation has really damaged the bureaucracy and it’s not ready to work. That’s why the members of the special committee just left three options for the government to opt any of them to resolve the issue rather than giving recommendation in this regard,” he explained.

He said during the meeting, some members, including an MNA and an MPA, urged the committee heads to decide the matter by opting any of the options mentioned in the special committee’s report. But they didn’t do so, stating that if the affectees are awarded compensation under one of the options (on which all landowners are agreed), a precedent would set forever and the people, in the future, may force the government to accept whatever they want. He said the participants said there would be some legal issues if the affectees’ demands are accepted.

“Actually, there are many constructions that were done after enforcement of section-4 of the land acquisition act. Under the law, no constructions can be done after enforcement of this section. But the locals did this just to get more and more compensation. If the government regularise such constructions and award compensation to their owners, it would be illegal,” the official quoted some members as discussing this aspect in the meeting,” he maintained.

He said steering committee members were also of the view that the category/options for compensation should be worked out more. So keeping in view this they sought working out the same more by the officers of the respective district administration within 10 days. The officers were also asked to submit their report to the next steering committee meeting which is likely to be held during last week of this month.

It may be recalled that following recommendations of the November 6 meeting of the steering committee, a special committee was constituted, entrusted with the task to engage and hold talks with the representatives of landowners, including an MNA, in the project area and convince them surrender their land for launching various civil works in the wake of executing the Dasu project.

The Supreme Court, soon after the formation, started working in the area, held a series of meetings with the locals and finally succeeded in agreeing them for surrendering their land to the government for the project. The landowners agreed after the Supreme Court accepted their demands — change of land category, applying compensation formula of Basha dam. They also gave affidavits to the court, undertaking that their demands would not increase more in future. They also signed a joint petition in this regard and handed over this to their MNA, requesting the government to accept their demands. Tthe SC finally compiled its report for submission to the next meeting of the committee.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019