The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has sought a massive increase of Rs 28 billion in the cost of under-construction 106 MW Golen Gol Hydropower Project, Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
An official source disclosed that WAPDA had forwarded a revised PC-I in which the estimated cost of the project had being jacked up from estimated Rs 7 billion to over Rs 28.2 billion. WAPDA has requested the ministry of water and power for getting it approved from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting scheduled to be held on May 15 this year.
The source said the increase in the project cost was surprising as till a few months back WAPDA was assuring that the project would be completed on time with minor cost escalation. He said WAPDA officials were pointing towards their new chairman for massive increase in Golen Gol project cost estimate.
The increase in estimated project cost in abnormal and requires close scrutiny. Since, the ministry of water and power lacks the required professional manpower to scrutinise and monitor cost estimates and physical progress, it will forward the summary without any objection to the Planning Commission, he added.
It is important to mention that the date of commencement of Rs7 billion Golen Gol project was July 2002 and was to be completed by 2009. Even after lapse of more than a decade, only 33 percent physical progress could be made on the project. WAPDA has claimed in its revised PC-I if the additional funds are provided the project could be completed by June 2016.
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