Minister justifies 14 demands of affected people

Suki Kanari Hydropower Project

MANSEHRA: Federal Minister for Haj and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Mohammad Yousaf on Monday said that 14 demands of affected families and landowners of 840 megawatts Suki Kanari Hydropower Project were justified.

“I have reviewed all the demands put forward by you and came to the conclusion that government should accept them and pay the price for the land of Suki Kanari Hydropower Project equal to Diamer-Bhasha dam in Kohistan and Chelas,” he told a delegation of landowners and affected families here.

The landowners and affected families, led by district councillor from Kaghan valley Mian Altaf, met the minister and presented him a 14-point charter of demands.Suki Kanari hydropower project with a capacity of 840 megawatts is being built at river Kunhar in Kaghan valley under multibillion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The minister said that government wanted completion of such energy projects without any delay to end loadshedding by 2018.Speaking on the occasion, Mian Altaf said that landowners and affected families would not vacate their land if their demands were not met.

“We want price of our land equal to the one acquired for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam,” he said.He said the payment should be made to those residing in the houses, not to those who claimed ownership of them.

The district councillor said that government should ensure that consumers in Balakot would be provided electricity on subsidised rate without any loadshedding.He said that local people would be given jobs in the project on priority basis and all allied services including educational institutions for both male and female would also be built along with hospitals and colonies for families.