ISLAMABAD, July 22: President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday directed that concerns of stakeholders in the Rs30 billion Greater Thal canal be removed through dialogue but the project should continue at all costs and without any delay.
Gen Musharraf was presiding over a briefing on irrigation and power projects being executed by Wapda and Karachi Electric Supply Corporation here on Tuesday, in which he issued a number of directives on financial and administrative aspects.
One of the participants of the briefing told Dawn that the President had called for constituting a federal-level ministerial committee to hold discussion with representatives of the Sindh government and political parties to remove their concerns over the mega project.
The president also directed that all projects should be taken up with consensus so that people of Sindh do not feel sidelined or having been subjected to injustice.
Without naming any particular dam, he directed that both small and large dams should be constructed to stop continuous wastage of water resources, calling on Wapda to complete feasibility studies for storage dams.
The president also directed to continue financial support to the KESC till 2006, the official said.
Another source said that the president directed the ministries of water and power and finance to provide adequate funds for Wapda’s corporatisation, irrigation projects and line- loss reduction, enabling it to complete projects of national importance without any hiccups.
An official statement said the president appreciated the improvement in the financial health of Wapda and KESC, saying that efforts should to pass benefits accruing from these positive developments on to consumers.
The statement said the president was given a comprehensive briefing by the minister for water and power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, chairman wapda Zulfiqar Ali Khan and managing director Kesc Brigadier Tariq Sadoozai.
Gen Musharraf stressed the need for finding ways to reduce the cost of electricity for consumers, particularly the industrial units making a positive impact so that the cost of production is reduced with a positive impact on exports and for the common man.
The president stated that there should be no pressure or interference in Karachi Electric Supply Company and they be allowed to proceed with their improvement plans unhindered.
He also stated that there should be timely provision of funds to Wapda and KESC for the smooth implementation of their improvement plans.
He directed the Kesc to improve its services, particularly uninterrupted supply of electricity.
The participants of the meeting included finance minister Shaukat Aziz, minister of state for water and power Khalid Ahmad Lund and other senior government functionaries were given a detailed briefing regarding various ongoing water and electricity generation projects, including Mangla raising, Greater Thal canal, Neelum-Jhelum hydro-power project and Wapda’s vision 2025, the statement said.