Tarbela Dam extension project: Residents protest construction company’s ‘unfair’ hiring practices

Sino Hydro won the $840m project which promises 2,500 new jobs.

HARIPUR: Residents of Ghazi tehsil protested on Tuesday against the Chinese construction company tasked to work on the fourth extension project of Tarbela Dam. They accused the firm of unfair employment practices. 

Led by social activist Farooq Shah, hundreds of residents participated in a rally which started at Khalo Dara and eventually converged into a public meeting at Hospital Chowk on Shahrah-e-Tarbela.

Shah, a former candidate from PK-52, accused Sino Hydro, the construction company, of excluding locals from the hiring process. They were being treated unfairly even though residents had given up their fertile agricultural land and ancestral graves for the dam, he claimed.



An official familiar with the matter shared Sino Hydro won the $840m project which would create more than 2,500 new jobs in different fields, including civil, mechanical and electrical.

“So many of the affected villagers have yet to receive compensation but remain silent with the hope they would be compensated with jobs,” said Shah. Those who were being hired are being offered low wages, complained Shah.

He accused the company and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of preferring non-locals for the newly-created jobs.  According to Shah, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser awarded 50% of the posts to people from his home district of Swabi. According to Shah, the loss incurred by Haripur residents is far greater.

Shah went on to criticise the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from Ghazi, Faisal Zaman, and former chief minister Pir Sabir Shah for failing to protect the rights of their constituents. He called them leaders devoid of courage.

“During the construction process, the tehsil’s roads will be used to transport heavy machinery and construction material. This means locals will also face traffic and environmental problems.”

Demonstrators threatened further protests if ‘discriminatory’ hiring continues.

The official source confirmed a 50% job quota has been allocated for Swabi residents on the K-P speaker’s recommendation but denied allegations of preferential hiring.

A four-member hiring committee has already been constituted comprising four officials – a Wapda representative, project consultant, contractor and the elected MNA or MPA from the district.

“Jobs have been announced and applications are being forwarded to the hiring committee,” he added.

Project Manager Yusuf Khattak was  not available for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2013.