Funding for Murree water project halted: Court summons MNA, CM’s secretary

Petitioners said since the advent of present set up in Punjab, government had spent over Rs2.5 billion on the project.

RAWALPINDI:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stopped the Punjab government from providing Rs100 million for the supply of electricity in the far fledged areas of Murree. The funds were meant for the Murree Bulk Water Suppy Project which was initiated by the previous provincial government to provide clean drinking water to the hill station from Jhelum River. 

LHC Rawalpindi bench Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh also issued notices to the secretary to the Punjab chief minister and the area’s MNA Shahid Khakan Abbasi to respond to a petition against the diversion of these funds by October 31.

Sher Asif Satti and three other petitioners, all residents of Murree, challenged the decision of the provincial government to allocate Rs100 million for provision of electricity supply to different villages in the area.

Through their lawyer, Qamar Hussain Sabzwari, the petitioners maintained that MNA Abbasi had asked the chief minister for funds, and a letter from the CM sent on August 16, 2011 diverted Rs100 million out of the Rs180 million that were initially meant for establishing a grid station to pump water from the Jhelum River to Murree city areas. The electricity supply to far fledged areas can wait, water shortage in the city is a more pressing issue, said one of the petitioners.

Also citing the Punjab chief secretary, finance secretary, IESCO chief executive and Rawalpindi commissioner as respondents, the petitioners said since the advent of the present set up in Punjab, the government had spent over Rs2.5 billion on the project, which was supposed to cost Rs4 billion before being shelved.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2012.