DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Durrani accuses Wapda of delaying hydel profit dues
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Dec 2: Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani on Saturday accused Wapda of delaying the implementation on decision of the arbitration commission on the profit on hydel power generation.
Speaking to newsmen here, the chief minister said he would himself lead a demonstration in front of the Prime Minister House in Islamabad if the payment was delayed any further. He was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other JUI leaders.
Mr Durrani said disbursement of Rs24 billion by Wapda in accordance with the arbitration commission’s decision would improve the financial health of the province.
He said the provincial government would undertake the construction of the Chashma Left Bank Canal if the federal government failed to initiate work on the project. More projects could also be undertaken if the money was released, he said.
Referring to Hasba Bill, he said that it needed the governor’s approval but even if the governor did not give his assent within 30 days, it would automatically become a law.
He ridiculed the federal information minister’s claim that the institution of Hasba would cost around Rs8 billion, saying that the salary bill was not as high as the minister had mentioned.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the decision to resign from parliament could be reviewed if the step was found to be harmful to democracy.
He said that the JUI Shura’s opinion about resignations would be presented in the MMA’s parliamentary party meeting in Islamabad on December 6-7.
The meeting, he said, would also work out a strategy on dealing with the government which, according to him, was bent upon creating a secular society.