ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources on Thursday expressed displeasure over an advertisement placed in newspapers by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to hire manpower for the Diamer Bhasha Dam other than local residents.

The committee asked the authority to give preference to candidates belonging to Gilgit-Baltistan in the jobs.

The committee also took serious notice of the issue of administration and maintenance of Chashma-Jhelum link canal and supply of less water to Balochistan and asked the concerned quarters to resolve them.

It constituted a four-member subcommittee to examine the issues related to administration, environmental pollution and distribution of water from Rawal Dam in Islamabad.

The instructions were issued by the committee at a meeting held in Parliament House with MNA Khalid Hussain Magsiin the chair.

The meeting was informed that 169 posts had been advertised for the Diamar Bhasha Dam out of which only four were allocated for Gilgit-Baltistan and merged tribal districts of KP and minorities.

PTI MNA Ali Nawaz Awan raised the issue in the meeting and said not giving local residents preference in jobs in development projects was against the law. He said under the Esta Code, Wapda should give preference to the local residents. Wapda member Amir Bashir agreed that according to the Esta Code special preference was given to local candidates for appointment on posts from grade 1-15.

So, the standing committee directed that no appointment should be made against the advertisement till the issue of quota for the candidates of Gilgit-Baltistan is resolved in accordance with relevant rules.

Chashma-Jhelum canal issue

The standing committee was informed that Rs120 million per annum was spent on maintenance and administration of the Chashma-Jhelum link canal.

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the Punjab province take benefit from the canal. Wapda has been mandated to look after and maintain the canal but no one is giving its contribution to Wapda.

However, PAEC has agreed to pay Rs15 million per annum to Wapda for the transitory period.

The committee was informed that Punjab was the main beneficiary of the canal but the provincial administration had failed to respond on the issue.

Khalid Hussain Magsi directed the concerned ministry to consult Indus River System Authority (Irsa), the government of Punjab, Wapda and the PAEC to resolve the issue and submit a compliance report to the committee at its next meeting. MNA Ali Nawaz Awan informed the committee about the poor management of Rawal Dam.

An official from the Punjab Small Dam Organisation sought time, saying he had just prepared a briefing on the water supply issue as per the agenda.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2020