Pre-budget press conference: Azad Kashmir minister seeks share in NFC award

Wants federal government to give Azad Jammu and Kashmir water use charges for Mangla Dam.

MUZAFFARABAD:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Finance Minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar on Sunday said the government of Pakistan should open the doors of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for the people of Azad Kashmir.

“The state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir should get representation on the NFC Award,” Akbar said in a pre-budget press conference. According to him, a share in NFC award will make AJK economically stable, he said.

The NFC award decides the distribution of financial resources, in the shape of pooled taxes by the centre to the provinces.



The finance minister also demanded that the federal government give the water use charges of Mangla Dam to the people of AJK.

He said Pakistan should invest in the hydroelectric (hydel) power generation potential of AJK to end the energy crisis in the country instead of buying electricity from India or Iran. He said more than 17,000MW of electricity can be generated from setting up hydropower plants on dozens of streams and tributaries of AJK.

Budget proposals

Giving details of the AJK’s annual budget 2013-14, Akbar said Rs10 billion would be spent on development projects out of the total outlay of Rs55 billion for the new fiscal year.

He said the main chunk of the budget goes to paying the salaries of the education department employees, however, health and hydel generation would be given top priority.



He said 800 new posts would be created in the health sector for providing the quality healthcare to the people of AJK.

Akbar said the 13 among 44 under-construction mini hydel powerhouses would be completed by the end of 2013 to make AJK self-sufficient in electricity. Up to Rs500 million have been allocated for the hydel sector.

He said a Chinese company will start work on the proposed 1,000 MW Kohala hydel power project on Jhelum River and the timely completion of this mega project will help end power shortage in Pakistan.

However, the minister reminded that within 25 years all the private mini hydel power projects would come under the control of the AJK government.

Tourism is a major driver of AJK economy. Chaudhry Latif Akbar said a handsome amount will be provided to develop the tourism infrastructure including the construction of new huts and rest houses at the main resorts of AJK.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.