Diamer-Bhasha project: Heftier payouts offered to residents displaced by dam

Govt will soon disburse Rs25 billion as compensation among the displaced

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has agreed to hand over bigger payouts to people displaced by the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam. Compensation has been increased by 25 per cent for those forced out of their homes and properties, and the government will soon disburse Rs25 billion among them.

Earlier, a demonstration was staged over the delay in the payment of compensation money under the previous agreement and protesters demanded a revision in the rate after the government failed to pay the compensation within the deadline, ie, December 31, 2013.

The displaced residents claimed that the compensation amount for their lands – taken over by the government for construction of the dam – should be revised keeping in view the increase in the dollar rate as well as the steep rise in the market price of lands across the country.

Following protests, the government constituted a ministerial committee comprising Minister Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Barjis Tahir, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, Minister of Information Pervaiz Rashid and Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar  to look into the matter.

“A consensus was developed between the government and the displaced residents over the compensation amount as the government has decided to revise the rate,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and G-B.

“The ministry will send a summary to the finance ministry within days to release the remaining amount under the head of compensation,” said the official.

A few days back, G-B Governor Barjees Tahir had said the prime minister specially inducted him as governor to expedite the mega development projects. He said he would play his role to resolve issues pertaining to these projects.

G-B Chief Secretary Sikander Sultan Raja said an amount of Rs10 billion for the compensation is already lying with the G-B government and the federal government was also ready to pay the additional amount, but the dam’s potential victims were not ready to receive them at the earlier agreed rate.

“Now a new agreement has been finalised and we have sent the proposal to the ministerial committee for its implementation,” said the chief secretary.

He said the government will release Rs15 billion in additional funds for the payment of compensation in addition to the already released amount of Rs10 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2015.