Construction of Daducha Dam: CJP orders Punjab govt to present plan on November 5

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the government of Punjab to provide complete plan and date of commencement of construction of Daducha Dam and submit a comprehensive report by Monday.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a suo moto case regarding non-compliance of the apex court order of construction of Daducha and Papeen dams in order to overcome the problem of water shortage in Rawalpindi. The court sought the deadline for the commencement of construction of Daducha Dam after the Punjab government declined the offer of Bahria Town Chief Executive Malik Riaz and submitted that the provincial government will construct the dam within two years.

The court directed the provincial government to come up with a detailed mechanism and consolidated plan as to how the construction of Daducha dam will be completed within a period of two years and sought report by Monday.

On August 2, Chief Executive Bahria Town Malik Riaz had expressed his willingness to construct Daducha Dam with the condition that there will be no interference on the part of bureaucracy of Punjab government, saying international consultants could be hired for the construction of the project.

On this occasion Malik Riaz told the court that he had already told chief justice of Pakistan that Bahria Town and DHA were ready to build dam at Daducha Tehsil and did not want any interference from bureaucracy so that the construction work on dam could be completed in minimum time and supply of clean drinking water to the millions of people of that area could be started. The chief justice heard Malik Riaz’s statement with great attention.

A this the court had directed Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for Bahria Town to submit proposals for the construction of dam in writing and had issued notice to Punjab government to submit its reply besides directing that Advocate General and Chief Secretary Punjab should come up with full preparation on the next date of hearing.

On Thursday, during course of the proceeding, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked the learned Additional Advocate General (AAG) Punjab Qasim Chohan about the progress in the instant matter and asked as to whether the provincial government has agreed to the proposal of Malik Riaz for construction of the said dam.

The law officer, however, said that they are not going to construct the said dam through any company including Malik Riaz but will itself construct the dam within a period of two years. The chief justice observed that the provincial government has not yet taken serious steps for the construction of Daducha Dam despite the fact that the country is in dire need of water.

The chief justice further said that Malik Riaz had offered construction of the said dam, adding that the provincial government is bent upon delaying tactics for the last four years. Additional Advocate General Punjab however, informed the court that they have submitted a report before the court. The law officer further appraised the court that Malik Riaz was not constructing the dam free of cost, adding that out of 18,000 kanals of land, 15,000 kanals are owned jointly by Bahria Town and Defence Housing Society. He said that Malik Riaz is demanding Rs26 billion for the said 15,000 kanals of land only while the construction cost of the dam will be other as well. Hence, he said that such conditions are not acceptable to the provincial government and will construct the dam itself. “They are not interested in construction of dam but only interested in selling out of its land”, Additional Advocate General submitted.

Chief Executive Bahria Town Malik Riaz however, contended before the court that he had already submitted before the court that he was willing to construct the dam with the condition that there will be no interference on the part of bureaucracy of Punjab government. The chief justice however, asked the law officer as to when the government will start construction work of the dam to which he sought some time to give final date.

When the court observed that the Punjab government has presented a flimsy point of view on the matter in hand, the law officer replied that he has solid reasons and sought permission to do.

Chief Justice then admonished the law officer and asked him not to appear before it on the next date of hearing. “You can’t realise the scarcity of water issue in the country and not ready to think seriously for the construction of said dam”, the CJP told the law officer.

Meanwhile, the court directed the government of Punjab to provide complete plan and date of commencement of construction of Daducha Dam and submit a comprehensive report by Monday.