ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiates, Friday, revealed that the construction work on 2,160 MW Dasu Hydro Power Project has been resumed, which was stopped after the July 14 terrorist attack in which 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals were killed.
The ministry stressed for reviewing the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) priorities as due to major focus on regional or smaller projects, mega projects of national importance are affected.
Asad Rafi Chandna, additional secretary of the ministry, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiates said that work has started on the project, which is expected to be completed by February 2025.
The committee meeting was chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, where briefing was given on the current status of all the undergoing PSDP projects, along with their completion plan.
According to the briefing, 15 percent physical progress on the Dasu power project has been achieved so far.
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The total cost of the project is Rs510.980 billion, while Rs56.514 billion was allocated in the budget for 2021-22.
Throw-forward of the project as of July 1, 2021 stood at Rs359.283 billion.
The Planning Ministry officials informed the committee that 1,155 PSDP projects are amounting to Rs9,422 billion, in which, 710 projects are ongoing, while 445 are new.
The estimated cost of the ongoing and new projects is Rs7,278 billion and Rs2,144 billion, respectively.
The committee was informed that a total of Rs900 billion including Rs800 billion local and Rs100 billion were allocated in the budget 2021-22 for the PSDP.
As of October 12, 2021 utilisation stood at Rs106 billion against the authorisation of Rs379 billion.
To know the exact breakup of these projects, the chairman committee asked for the ageing of the allocated budget and overall projects.
While briefing the committee regarding the sectorial breakup of the PSDP 2021-22, the officials apprised that 62 percent of the budget is allocated for the infrastructure sector and 20 percent for the social sector.
On the completion plan of most important projects, it was said that the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme had a physical progress of 31 percent (expected completion 30 June 2023), Dasu hydropower project stage-1 (2160MW) had a progress of 15 percent (expected completion February 2025), Mangla Power station Refurbishment (310MW) had a physical progress of 48 percent (expected completion June 2024), Tarbela fifth extension (1410MW) had a physical progress of two percent (expected completion June 2025), Tarbela fourth extension had a physical progress of 99 percent (expected completion December 2022), Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (Dam part) had a physical progress of four percent (expected completion June 2029), Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (land acquisition and re-settlement) had a physical progress of 72 percent and Mohmand Multipurpose Dam project had a physical progress of nine percent (expected completion December 2025).
The officials, while further divulging about the projects said that 10 percent of work had been completed on 50 percent of projects, and 30 percent of projects are new and of the remaining 70 percent projects, 100 percent work had been completed on 50 percent of the projects.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
