PESHAWAR, June 21: Islamabad is apprehending that the World Bank loan for Ghazi Barotha Hydro Power (GBHP) project may be cancelled in view of the failure of provincial governments of the NWFP, Sindh and Punjab to resolve the long-standing issue of resettling the remaining of the Tarbela Dam’s affectees, according to sources.

In a recent communique, said the senior government functionaries, the Chief Executive Secretariat has apprised the three provincial governments about the federal government’s apprehensions that constant failure on their part to resolve the resettlement issue might well lead to the cancellation of the World Bank’s loan for the GBHP.

The World Bank, said the sources, wanted Islamabad to resolve the resettlement issue well before June 30, 2002 — the new deadline set for the purpose.

Quoting official documents, sources told Dawn that the federal government had intimated the three provinces that resettlement of the issue was essential for the continuation of the loan beyond its closing date of June 30, 2002, adding that the same could not be made without cooperation on the part of the provincial governments.

The provincial governments have been asked to do the needful well before the deadline to help the federal government avoid getting cancelled the World Bank’s loan to the GBHP ensuring its extension beyond June 30, 2002.

The governments of Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP had been directed to provide 7,100 acres, 14,200 acres and 2,607 acres, respectively, to resettle remaining of the families rendered displaced due to the execution of Tarbela Dam Project over 27 years back.

According to sources, instructions to the effect of providing land were given by President Gen Pervez Musharraf during a meeting on Nov 29, 2001, setting Dec 31, 2001, as deadline for the compliance of his instructions — which he had passed in his capacity as the chief executive at that time.

However, well over one-and-a-half year has passed since the instructions were issued, only the NWFP government has arranged some 112 kanals land in Mansehra district for distributing it among some of the Tarbela Dam Project affectees. Whereas, the 2,607 acres identified by the NWFP in its Dera Ismail Khan district could not be arranged after the same land was acquired by the army for distributing it among its deserving personnel and martyrs.

Whereas, in response to repeated reminders on the part of the Chief Executive Secretariat, Punjab had expressed inability to arrange the land.

Though Sindh identified over 7,000 acres that could be utilized for the purpose, it could not be done due to complexities involved in the matter mainly due to non-availability of the required data.

Expressing concern over continuous delay in arranging the land on the part of Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP, said the sources, the Chief Executive Secretariat had asked them that a World Bank mission, who recently visited Pakistan, had raised reservations viz-a-viz non-resolution of the dam affectees’ resettlement issue — a condition under the World Bank’s loan agreement for the GBHP.

“The fresh reminder has been served to the three provincial governments after the Ministry of Water and Power brought this issue again to the notice of President Musharraf during a meeting at Islamabad in April last,” said the sources.

Though the provincial governments, they said, had been asked to comply with the fresh instruction at the earliest and sent the compliance report till May 30, 2002, the issue remained unresolved at least in the case of the NWFP, federal authorities concerned had been informed that the 2,607 acres identified in D.I.Khan district could not be brought under utilization for the same purpose after the land had been taken over by the army.