ABBOTTABAD, June 24: Disbursement of land compensation to Diamer-Bhasha Dam affected people of Kohistan will start soon as the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapa) will provide an additional Rs13.277 million that will raise the total amount to Rs105.277 million.

This was decided in a meeting held here on Friday with the Commissioner, Hazara Division, Mohammad Khalid Khan Umerzai, in the chair. MPA from Kohistan Abdul Sattar Khan, District Coordination Officer, Kohistan, Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, general manager (land acquisition) Wapda, Dr Raheal Ahmad Siddiqui and other concerned officials attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the matters pertaining to payment of compensation to the owners of 1,298 kanals of land, which will be acquired for construction of Bhasha Dam at two villages of Dassu tehsil of Kohistan. The Wapda representative agreed to raise the compensation amount as per demand of the affected people that were presented by Mr Umerzai during the meeting.

Mr Umerzai asked Wapda to call a representative jirga of the affected people to take them into confidence regarding land acquisition and also take appropriate steps for setting up a model school at Dassu as part of the Bhasha Dam project.

He also ordered an inquiry against the revenue officials of Kohistan who allegedly did not disburse the compensation amount to the landowners despite the fact that Wapda had transferred an amount of Rs92 million into the account of district revenue officer, Kohistan.

The commissioner directed the concerned officials to immediately initiate disbursement of the compensation so as to remove impediments in construction of the vital project of Diamer-Bhasha Dam.

BAR POLLS: Tahir Faraz Abbasi advocate was elected as president of the Abbottabad district bar association for the third time in the election held on Thursday.

Tahir Abbasi obtained 160 votes against his close rival Syed Amjad Shah who got 138 votes. Ikhlaq Ahmed was elected as general secretary with 139 votes, while his rival Zahid Qureshi polled 115 votes.

For the post of vice president, there was tie between Zahid Shah and Munir Bhatti who got 98 votes each, while Bushra Malik secured 91 votes. Khurram Iqbal Qazi was elected library secretary. Malik Waheed Akhter and Tahir Afzal were elected as club secretary and joint secretary unopposed.

Sher Dil Khan, Qamar Zaman, Sardar Jan Alam and Syed Ishrat Hussain Shah were elected members of the executive committee.