The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) handed over a cheque worth Rs1.78 billion to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government as compensation for land acquired for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project in Upper Kohistan.
The cheque was presented by Brigadier (r) Shoaib Taqi, General Manager of Land Acquisition, Resettlement, and Human Resource Development for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, to Deputy Commissioner and District Collector of Upper Kohistan, Tariq Ali Khan. The ceremony was attended by DIG Hazara Range, Nasir Mehmood Satti.
According to an official statement, the Deputy Commissioner will oversee the distribution of compensation among landowners after completing the necessary procedures, which include verification through GIS reports, revenue records, and other relevant documentation.
The compensation relates to land and properties acquired for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Harban-Bhasha, a tehsil in Upper Kohistan.
In a related meeting, chaired by DIG Hazara Nasir Mehmood Satti, land acquisition matters and other issues concerning the 4,500MW Diamer-Bhasha hydropower project were reviewed. The project is located on the Indus River along the boundary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The meeting was attended by Brigadier (r) Taqi, Tariq Ali Khan, Wapda’s Director-General for Social Safeguard Tariq Mehmood, Director of Coordination for the Diamer-Bhasha Project Rahim Shah, and local officials.
Landowner representatives expressed their gratitude to the DIG Hazara, the Deputy Commissioner, and Wapda for releasing the compensation funds. They also pledged their support for the timely completion of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, which they believe will help alleviate the country’s energy deficit and bring economic prosperity to both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
