HARIPUR, Oct 2: The rejection of allotment process by Tarbela Dam victims for granting alternative land to them has put the Ghazi Barotha Power Project in jeopardy, as, the World Bank’s second tranche for the project was made conditional to allotment of alternative land to all remaining victims numbering to 2,000 people.

According to the victims in Khalabt area, the modus operandi adopted by the Wapda regarding allotment and validating claims was not acceptable to them.

The 1450mw Ghazi Barotha Project was the second hydro power project of Haripur district after Tarbela which was executed by the Wapda with a total cost of $ 2.2 billion. A sum of $530 million out of $ 1.2 billion as total foreign assistance, is to be given by the World Bank which has released its first tranche and the second was made conditional to complete compensation to the remaining victims of Tarbela Dam. This project is scheduled to be completed by August 2002.

In 1996 the World Bank had asked the Wapda to clear all pending claims of Tarbela Dam victims after which the second tranche would be released. On this the then government constituted a Tarbela Commission headed by A. R. Siddiqui in 1998 which received over 11,000 claims for alternative land. However, the commission in its report declared only 250 claims for residential plots out of 5,000 and 1,704 claims for agricultural land against 6,000 claims as valid.

The affected were asked to contact Legal & Litigation/ Nucleus Cell Tarbela. However, the victims unanimously rejected the commission’s report, for, they had been asked to slash their claims.

Last year the government asked the provinces to ensure allotment of alternative land to all displace people of Tarbela Dam whose claims were still pending. President Pervaiz Musharraf has, according to set formula, asked Punjab, Sindh and NWFP for providing 1400, 7000 and 26500 acres of land respectively. But all the provinces refused to give the land of their share. The land, however, has not been surrendered and the victims continue to suffer. The negotiations between the Centre and the provinces have also not yielded any result.

The victims have called upon the government for constituting a joint and independent commission which should be empowered to invite the victims including from Swabi and Kaladahka for depositing their pending claims. This commission should examine all the claims.

ELECTION: Four candidates have filed their nomination papers for the seat of Union Nazim of Khalabt union council. The by-election for the seat is to be held on 16th. The seat fell vacant after Iftikahr Ashraf Khan was elected Tehsil Nazim on Aug 2 . The candidates are: Sardar Slim Khan, Syed Muqadar Shah, Tariq Chaman and Salim Tanoli.