Islands to emerge at Mangla Dam in Azad Kashmir By Altaf Hamid Rao 'Pakistan Times' AJK Bureau Chief

MIRPUR (AJK): In the wake of the Rs. 62 billion under-construction Mangla dam raising project, two islands will emerge in picturesque Mangla Dam reservoir here through the construction of two required dikes by WAPDA in order to provide direct access to the population of the adjoining villages of Panayam and Kharak in Mirpur sub division to rest part of the city.

The dikes project will cost about Rs. 386 million - to be borne by the AJK government with the liberal financial assistance of the federal government.

This was disclosed by Joint Commissioner Mangla Dam Affairs and Resettlement Organisation Chaudhry Munir Hussain while speaking in a Radio Press Conference recorded in the studios of Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur last night.

Deputy Director Public Relations AJK and Public Relations Officer Mangla Dam Affairs and Resettlement Organization Ch. Muhammad Rashid was also present on this occasion.

The program was produced by Guest Producer Mallick Bashir Murad and anchored by senior Journalist Altaf Hamid Rao.

The Joint Commissioner on this occasion apprised the radio listeners of the steps being taken by the government for the early rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families falling displaced due to the raising of the country’s second biggest dam.

He said that the package of incentives announced by the government for the rehabilitation of the Mangla dam affecters will be implemented in letter and spirit and within the stipulated time frame.

He said that Mangla Dam affectees were being provided with the financial compensation of their affected build-up and other property in line with the existing market rates. He said that a total of 113 villages including 110 of Mirpur district and only three of adjoining Kotli district will be affected following upraising of the Mangla dam.

The Mangla Dam Affairs Deptt has estimated Rs. 35 billion as the financial compensation for the Mangla dam affectees as the monetary compensation for the resettlement of the displaced population.

He said that the estimated compensation of Rs. 35 billion will be extended to the affectees simultaneously with the allotment of residential plots to them in the New Mirpur garden city and four model towns each at Siakh, Dadayal, Chakswari and Islamgarh.

New Mirpur city is being carved at the pattern of Islamabad which will be consisted of all latest civic amenities of life. Similar modern amenities of life will also be available in the model towns being constructed at Siakh, Dadayal, Chakswari and Islamgarh for the displaced families, he added.

Ch. Munir Hussain said that the reservations and apprehensions about the slow-paced implementation of the compensatory process will be removed after their apprehensions to this affect have already been forwarded to the higher authorities with the recommendations for the acceleration of the process by WAPDA who, he added, has also been recommended to immediately ink a recovery plan to achieve the task, he added.

In this connection, the JC referred to the recent high level meeting of the Implementation Committee held in Mirpur and attended by AJK President Raja Zulqarnain Khan, its Chairman and federal minister for Kashmir Affairs Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal minister for Water & Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi, Chairman WAPDA Tariq Hameed and other top officials of the federal government as well as the AJK government to review the pace of the develop works for the timely rehabilitation and resettlement of the people falling displaced due to the raising of the dam.

The Joint Commissioner said that the Mangla dam affectees rehabilitation and resettlement process was being monitored by the higher level with special priorities for the completion of the process within the stipulated time frame, he added.

To a question, he said that allotment of residential plots to the Mangla dam raising project affectees in the New Mirpur city and other under construction model towns was expected to be started under phased program by his department from April this year soon after the receipt of intimation from WAPDA to this direction.●