CDWP clears Kurram Tangi Dam project

Was referred to body without technical, financial appraisal

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday cleared the Kurram Tangi Dam project at a cost of Rs22.7 billion despite concerns over its high cost.

The project was not part of the original agenda of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting, but was approved nevertheless.



The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa sent the project summary on Wednesday, which was brought before the CDWP without proper technical and financial appraisal.

Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal chaired the CDWP meeting.

The CDWP has recommended the Kurram Tangi dam project to the Executive Committee on National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the cost of Rs22.74 billion with a foreign aid component of Rs4.5 billion, according to a handout issued by the Planning Commission.

There were objections over the high rate of labour claimed by the Frontier Works Organization - the military’s construction arm. Issues between Wapda and FWO also remained unresolved.



Kurram Tangi Dam is located in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Wapda has planned to implement the project in two stages. It will provide water to 16,380 acres of land in addition to producing about 19 megawatts of electricity.

The project will also provide water for domestic use by about 48,500 people. Benefits of stage-I have been estimated at Rs1.5 billion per annum.

The CDWP approved 18 projects at a total cost of Rs23 billion, and referred three projects worth Rs52 billion to Ecnec for final approval.

The CDWP also referred the Mangi Dam Quetta project worth Rs9.9 billion and construction of an additional carriage way of Indus Highway (N-55) Sehwan-Ratodero Section, JICA-funded, worth Rs19.5 billion for Ecnec approval.

It deferred the clearance of Golan Gol Hydropower project due to objections over further increase in its cost. The Ministry of Water and Power has upward revised the project cost to Rs28.2 billion.

The CDWP approved five projects in the education sector. The approved projects are construction of University of Dir, establishment of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur sub-campus at Rahim Yar Khan, post-doctoral fellowship programme, construction of boundary wall of the University of Agriculture Peshawar and establishment of University of Turbat at a cost of Rs2.8 billion.



Another approved project of the education sector was Improving Human Development Indicators in Pakistan with a focus on the millennium development goals. It will cost Rs2.4 billion and an amount of Rs500 million has been allocated in the current year’s development budget.

The Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme (Phase-III) 2015-17 was approved, and will cost Rs2.6 billion. The CDWP also approved the Centre of Excellence for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at a cost of Rs996.6 million.

The CDWP also approved six projects in the transport and communication sector. These include flyovers at the Nag Shah Chowk Multan, construction of a flyover on Shaheen Chowk N-5 Gujrat, Airport Security Force (ASF) accommodation at the New Islamabad Airport, and construction of metalled road in Nankana Sahib.

Two approved projects of the water sector were construction of Zamir Gul Dam district Kohat and agriculture development water management project in Killa Abdullah and Killa Saifullah district.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2016.

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