While the country faces severe electricity shortage, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) hydroelectric authorities were completely clueless at a public hearing on their petition to increase the hydel generation tariff on the completion date of the 17.4MW Gomal Zam Dam being built in South Waziristan.
Vice Chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Shoukat Ali Kundi, while chairing a three member bench hearing the WAPDA petition, had specifically asked the WAPDA authorities to give the exact date for the completion of the project.
WAPDA Hydro Electric Finance General Manager Anwarul Haq had said earlier that the project would be completed by October 2011. However, a NEPRA member said that WAPDA had earlier given the date of October 2010, while he had personally heard former president General Pervez Musharraf saying that the project would be completed in 2009. He said that he had even asked a United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID) delegation not to mislead the authorities on the date of completion.
WAPDA authorities offered that they would arrange a tour to visit the project. However, the NEPRA member said that he belonged to the area and knew about the progress on the project and just wanted to know the exact date on which the project would be completed. The WAPDA representatives said that they would be giving the exact date after consulting their seniors.
In reply to a question, the finance general manger said that nearly Rs 10 billion were collected under the 10 paisa surcharge on electricity for the Neelum Jehlum hydel power project, and the amount was being utilised only on the project.