PM directs to ensure timely completion of all ongoing development projects

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has directed the Ministry of Water Resources to focus on all the ongoing development projects and ensure their timely completion.

Presiding over a meeting to discuss the affairs of WAPDA in Islamabad on Friday, he said the new Ministry of Water resources had been constituted for better resolution of the issues.

He said the present government initiated several mega water projects.

The Prime Minister said we must make Ministry of Water Resources productive and renew our efforts in this regard.

Chairman WAPDA, Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd.) briefed the meeting about the ongoing and future water and power projects.

The meeting was further informed that among the ongoing projects, work on Kachhi Canal having capacity of irrigating 72,000 acres of land in Dera Bugti has been completed and it would be inaugurated very soon.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the project and said the entire demography of Dera Bugti and other areas of Balochistan would benefit from this canal.

It was further informed that first unit of 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project would be commissioned in February next year.

Regarding 1,410 MW Tarbela IV Extension, the chairman informed that its first unit would be ready for power generation by February 2018, second by April, 2018 and the third by May, 2018.    

The meeting was also briefed about work on Dasu Hydropower Project and Diamer Bhasha Dam Project.      

Prime Minister directed to control the cost escalation in these projects without compromising quality of work.