Landowners Forbade to Continue Work on Dasu Hydropower Project

[Salman]

Landowners had decided to resolve a dispute over the price of the 4,320 megawatts Dasu Hydropower project in Kohistan. However, the dialogue remained unsuccessful. Therefore, they warned WAPDA not to resume work on the project, as they would not allow the authorities to conduct a survey on the project, until their demands were not met.

In the last month, the landowners had forced WAPDA to stop working on the project. Earlier this year, PM Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated the work on project and issued the funds worth Rs486 billion. The talks were held in Jirga Hall, Headquarters of Kohistan District.

According to landlords, they do not accept the “unreasonable” prices of their lands fixed by the administration for the Dasu Hydropower project so they should be paid according to the market price. Deputy Commissioner, Zafarul Islam, summoned the meeting and assured the landowners that government was reconsidering the land price and must allow WAPDA to carry out the project’s survey.

The project will bring revolutionary changes and prosperity for the region’s residents. He further asked the landowners to reconsider their decision of hampering work on the project. Though the prices offered to landowners were appropriate but even then, the authorities were reconsidering it.