Syed Muhammad Qaseem:
QUETTA: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly has voiced deep concerns over delayed completion of vital small dam projects in Balochistan, urging the Irrigation Department to accelerate construction. Originally tasked with building 100 dams by 2020, only 11 have been completed, resulting in escalated costs and financial losses for the government.
PAC Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen and members, including Ing Rahmat Saleh Baloch of the National Party, Zabeth Ali of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, and Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, stressed the importance of timely completion for essential projects like the Kachhi Canal to strengthen water management and support agriculture. The committee requested comprehensive reports on all ongoing projects from the Irrigation Department.
Furthermore, the PAC called attention to the Lasbela Industrial Estate Development Authority (LIEDA), which owes Rs. 247 million in overdue payments. Despite LIEDA charging industrial units Rs. 250 per 1,000 gallons of water in Hub Industrial City, it pays only Rs. 7 per 1,000 gallons to the Irrigation Department—a rate unchanged since 1994. PAC members directed LIEDA to settle its dues promptly and called for rate adjustments to align with inflation.
This call for action aims to promote fiscal responsibility, resource optimization, and transparent project management across Balochistan’s infrastructure sector.
