SC announces dams’ construction oversight panel

Top court also constitutes three-member committee to oversee CJP’s fund utilisation

ISLAMABAD: The apex court has decided to constitute an implementation bench to oversee construction process of Mohmand and Diamer-Bhasha dams. Composition of the bench will be announced later.

Hearing a suo motu case regarding construction of new water reservoirs, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, on Wednesday also formed a special committee to look after the fund started by the CJP for the dams.

The three-member committee will include two directors of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and an SC official. The bench also appointed two amicus curiae – Makhdoom Ali Khan and Dr Pervaiz Hassan – to assist the court regarding dam funds use.

“Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Jehanzeb Khan is directed to give proposal [on] how the money collected by the government on mobile phone charge[s], and the tax[es] on bottling water and beverage companies [could] be used for the dams’ fund,” the bench said.

Earlier, the bench ordered the SBP governor to submit a proposal regarding investment of dams fund in profitable schemes. The governor said funds for the dams were received from 50 countries.

The bench was told that media aired advertisements worth Rs13 billion for dam fund’s campaign. The CJP appreciated media’s role in collection of funds. A female TV anchor tendered an unconditional apology for airing of a programme against award of Mohmand dam construction contract in alleged violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.

The bench said criticising dam contract without getting the Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) viewpoint was unfair.  It said the contract was not given on the basis of a single bid but a whole process was followed.

Wapda chairman told the bench that the Ministry of Power has to pay Rs164 billion to Wapda.  The bench asked Wapda chairman to submit a progress report every month on construction process.

The hearing of case was adjourned till the first week of February. Now hearing of the case will be resumed after the CJP’s retirement. It will be interesting to see whether the new CJP would continue the campaign for collection of dam funds.  Rs9.11858 billion is collected in the SC fund for dams, so far.