PESHAWAR, June 10: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has asked the NWFP government to decide land acquisition cases pertaining to multi-billion-rupees Swabi Salinity Control and Rehabilitation Project (SSCRP) without further delay to help it avoid financial losses, sources told Dawn.

There are some six land acquisition cases concerning the Swabi project which are pending since long earlier with the deputy commissioner, Mardan — before the devolution of power plan was introduced on Aug 14, last — and now with the presiding officer of the district collector, Mardan — an office came into being after the devolution of power.

In a letter sent to relevant authorities of the provincial government, Wapda has demanded decision on the cases at the earliest to ensure avoiding financial losses accruing due to the involvement of foreign assistance in the execution of the multi-billion-rupees project.

The project is at halt since long at six different places in Mardan district after the people from whom the land was acquired for developing the project went into litigation.

The sub-projects, forming parts of the overall Swabi project, where Wapda has been dragged into litigation include Murdara drain, Palatoo Main branches, Mian Gul drain, Kandar drain, Bajoro drain and Iftikhar drain.

“Wapda wants the provincial government to get these cases decided at the earliest, without further delay, so that sub-projects could be executed smoothly,” said the official sources.

The Authority, which is supervising the execution of the Swabi project, has adopted the stand that the delay in deciding the land acquisition cases was not only causing financial losses to the government, all the more it had affected the pace of executing the project — considered to be vital for controlling salinity in Swabi and Mardan districts.

According to sources, the government is suffering heavy financial losses due to delay in settling complexities involved in acquiring of land for the execution of the project, heavily funded by international donors.