CM asks federal govt to start work on Diamer-Bhasha dam

NOWSHERA: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Friday urged the federal government to launch construction work on Diamer-Bhasha and other small dams to protect the province from floods in the future.
Speaking at a public meeting in Bara Banda Union Council here, he said the construction of the dams would help reduce risk of floods in the changing climate and help overcome energy crisis.
Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Jamshiduddin Kakakhel and other local party leaders and office-bearers were present on the occasion. About 39 councillors-elect announced joining the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
The chief minister urged the federal government to give the province its share in the Chinese investment in the country and launch mega uplift projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government had allocated Rs10 billion in the budget for the fiscal 2015-16 to build the embankments along the Kabul and other rivers to protect the affected areas from floods.
The chief minister said that building embankments along the rivers had been started. “The work will be completed in two years,” he added.Pervez Khattak said that his government would construct of small dams to help prevent floods. He said the provincial government had launched a tree plantation campaign across the province to prevent land erosion and tackle the threat of floods.
The chief minister said the government was implementing its election manifesto in letter and spirit. He said the government was determined to do away with poverty, class-based education system, corrupt practices and provide basic amenities to the common people.
Criticising the successive governments, he said that precious governments put aside their manifestos after reaching the corridors of power and pocketed the funds mean for uplift schemes.
Pervez Khattak said the government had allocated a huge chunk of the Annual Development Programme for the local governments. He said each district would be given Rs45 million development fund annually. The district governments would be given more funds, resources and power if their performance was satisfactory. “The government will curtail the powers and funds of the local governments if its performance fell short of the mark,” he added.
The chief minister said the PTI’s vote-bank had increased in the recently held local government elections. “The success of the PTI candidate was testimony of the public confidence in the government and its policies,” he added. He announced upgrading of the Bara Banda High School to Higher Secondary School, construction of 15 kilometre portion of a road, approved 15 transformers for the union council and irrigations projects.