LAHORE, April 10: Sindh Industries Minister Adil Siddique has said that there is a need for developing consensus on the longstanding issue of Kalabagh dam (KBD). Speaking at a meeting of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and talking to Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema here on Monday, he said construction of the dam should be started after a consensus had been reached on it among all the four provinces.

He said Bhasha and Munda dams should be built before Kalabagh. The federal government should try to evolve consensus on construction of Kalabagh dam.

He said that there had been a remarkable increase in exports in the recent past. Export earning could be increased by paying attention to value addition. He invited industrialists from Punjab to invest in industrial parks being developed in Sindh and start joint ventures there.

He said the provincial government was making all possible efforts for improving law and order situation for promotion of economic activity and boosting exports. He also conveyed the concern of industrialists of Punjab about armed robberies and land disputes to the Sindh IGP and chief secretary on telephone.

Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema said the construction of all dams, including Kalabagh, was necessary for agricultural water storage and power generation. He said controversy regarding KBD required to be resolved to facilitate its construction.

He said the government was planning to develop a 100-acre cottage industries zone near Lahore and include industries with 10 skilled workers in the definition of cottage industries. Presently only an industry with up to five skilled workers was considered a cottage industry.

He said complete infrastructure facilities were being made at the Sundar Industrial Estate so that industries could go into production at the earliest. He said the private sector could play a significant role in solving the unemployment problem because the government was not in a position to provide jobs to all the unemployed people in the country.

LCCI President Mian Shafqat Ali said the construction of Kalabagh dam was necessary for meeting the water storage shortage of 9 million acre feet which was expected to increase to 30 MAF by year 3030.

He said it was unfortunate that the KBD issue had been politicised. Punjab was, however, ready to offer constitutional guarantees in respect of rights of other provinces.

Chamber Senior Vice President Aftab Ahmed Vohra urged the Sindh industries minister to abolish the Sindh excise tax as it was hurting importers from Punjab.