Suki Kanari Hydropower Project: Govt yet to pay Rs1.67 bn to landowners

MANSEHRA: The Mansehra district administration has told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives that it had paid an amount of Rs2.03 billion to owners whose land was acquired for the 880 megawatts Suki Kanari Hydropower Project being built at Kunhar River in the Kaghan valley.

“I have told the standing committee that the district administration has to pay a total of Rs3.7 billion to the landowners but we have paid an amount of Rs2.03 billion yet,” Qasim Ali Khan, the deputy commissioner, told reporters here on Tuesday.

Member National Assembly Salah Mohammad Khan had raised the various questions in the standing committee which met with its Chairman MNA Junaid Akbar. Landowners and deputy commissioner Qasim Ali Khan also attended the meeting.

The deputy commissioner said that the standing committee’s chairman Junaid Akbar has constituted a committee led by MNA Salah Mohammad Khan to address the land compensation, Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road and other issues related to Suki Kanari Hydropower Project being executed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said the local MNA Salah Mohammad Khan had raised the compensation issue of around 462 houses acquired was acquired for the dam. “The claim by the owners that they were not paid the compensation amount for their 460 houses is being examined and a subsequent inquiry on the basis of evidence provided by claimants is underway,” said the deputy commissioner.

He said that National Highway Authority Chairman Khurram Aga in response to a question raised by the MNA Salah Mohammad Khan on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad roads poor condition said his department was working on a plan for the rehabilitation of that main artery which links Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan.