The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Raghib Shah on Monday said that the 4500 MW-Diamer Basha Dam Project is being implemented on priority, as the federal government has allocated about Rs 13.78 billion for the project during the fiscal year 2012-13. He made this announcement while talking to Gilgit Baltistan Works Minister Bashir Ahmed, Health Minister Haji Gulber Khan and Taxation and Minerals Minister Muhammad Naseer Khan. The chairman said that as many as 14 local contracts had already been awarded and construction work on WAPDA offices, colonies, contractors’ camp, road infrastructure in the project area was in full swing. He further said that the process to acquire land for the project both in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also being started while a sum of Rs 6.85 billion had been paid to the respective governments till June 2012 for the purpose.
