NOC issued for establishment of powerhouse in Chitral town
CHITRAL: July 23: The KP government has granted NOC to the SRSP Chitral for the construction of Shali Hydel Powerhouse in Chitral. The construction of the powerhouse will alleviate the sufferings of the people of Chitral city and their problem. The proposed hydel project will not only benefit the domestic consumers but also give impetus to commercial and business activities. As result of the establishment of the powerhouse, people of the town will get rid of the cruel clutches of WAPDA which has made the lives of the consumers miserable by prolonged power cuts. With the grant of NOC people of the town Chitral took a sigh of relief and expressed their gratitude to MPA Fozia Bibi for her struggle to achieve the purpose.–Bashir Hussain Azad]]>
Thanks for the efforts of the Miss Fouzia for taking interest in the matter. I have spent a week in Chitral City this last eid and let me tell you that people were really suffering. This issue is however very old and people in power in past have been unable to prioritize projects very well and have been unable to monitor progress of big and small projects of public interest through out Chitral. The leaders in connivance with the government officials and Contractors have played havocs with these projects. Releasing money for incomplete road projects in upper Chitral in past spoke volumes of the irregularities. The new government of PTI could not win any seats in Chitral but have taken good start in acting against corrupt officials and contractors. Corruption is menace in the society and everyone is involved in it. Even keeping silent on seeing some committing corruption is corruption therefore we should be vigilant and keep our eyes open and should raise our voice against any injustice in the society.
The Executive Engineer
C&W Division Chitral
DearSir,
SUBJECT PAVING OF BAZAR BYPASS RENAMED KHAN ABDULWALI KHAN BYPASS ROAD CHITRAL
With reference to our letters on the subject matter, and allied meeting held with your goodself and District administration in this connection, we would like hereby, again to bring into your kind consideration, the facts and problems that are not only hampering the completion of Chitral Bypass Road but is also causing great loss to us and inconvenience to the general public.
As your good self know that last year the subject road was paved with TST from Chew Bridge to PTDC hotel Chitral by order of XEN C&W, Session Judge Chitral using best material and the 80-100 grade bitumen was brought from Karachi to make this important road a role model, but in vain due to severe weather condition, Greater traffic volume and heavy ESAL load of trucks. And within short duration of time the TST was washed away with heavy rain and snowfall causing us million of rupees losses.
At the time of Contract signing of the Khan Abdul Wali Khan Bypass Road, the Chief Engineer C&W and We agreed on a written agreement that if the C&W Asphalt Plant would not be operational, then the Shaheen Construction Company would carry out the black topping with mobile mixture plant.
In addition to this, the issues of our payment liabilities, land acquisition dispute and relocation of utilities has not yet been addressed which is delaying the Project and causing us losses.
It is therefore requested to operational Department asphalt plant or grant us approval for carrying out the Blacktopping operation with mobile Mixture Plant or P.C.C to avoid inconvenience to the masses and loss to the Contractor as our Base Course is spilling away with the continues abrasion of heavy vehicles, and also our plant, machinery and workmanship are lying idle. Also we are facing acute financial constraint due to cash flow problems.
We hereby, request your good self and higher-ups to take bold and concrete decision needed for these issues redressel, and oblige us.
Thanking you Sir
Yours Sincerely,
Engr. NaveedShaheen
(MD)
Shaheen Construction Company
Construction of powerhouses and other projects by local contractors and government department is before us in the form of Shishi Hydel Power project, Bypass road and Golen Gol water supply scheme. In all the three schemes taxpayers’ hard earned money has been syphoned off with no benefits to them. In case of Shishi Hydel power project about Rs.60 crore has been spent while the power project failed to produce a single unit of electricity after one year. If that amount of public tax income could be provided to AKRSP Chitral hundred such power projects will be completed. Secondly, in Booni WASEP executed water supply project successfully with lowest estimated cost while in Chitral Rs.32 core has been spent by the contractor belonging to JUI party and not a single drop of water has been supplied to town Chitral in the Holy Month of Ramazan. If KPK government outsource these infrastructure project to AKRSP or other expert consulting agencies public tax income could be saved from corruption and corrupt mafia would be left in the lurch. To twist the wave in the favor of corrupt contractors their performance is before us in the form of Shishi Hydel Power Project, By-Pass Road and Golen Gol water supply etc reflect that tax income of the poverty ridden nation is directly going into the pocket of corrupt mafia. These corrupt mafia instigating religious parties representatives to pass such statement so that their corrupt practices could be continued for good.
Some of your letters and public statements make a hilarious reading. Sister Saba Gul should understand that SRSP had one Chitrali when the present CEO, who happens to be a Chitrali, took over. Today it has 71 and only a few of his clan. It is time we get a Punjabi to head this organisation and maybe we will get more people from Chichawatni. There are statements from the elected representatives about SRSP getting NOC to establish powerhouses. I thought this was a simple bureaucratic procedure and the elected representatives would not take credit for such petty issues. I think they should be thanking the organisation and its CEO for arranging the funding rather than shouting hoarse about getting NOCs. One gentleman talks about taxpayers’ money. Surely Chitralis are not taxpayers and don’t pay to international donors their taxes because the organisation has generated international funding and is not getting local government funding. Surely the writer must have read about the Rs 580 million of pipes which are leaking in the Chitral and Drosh drinking water projects. Should not taxpayers be bothered about them. I guess if you don’t pay taxes you will not be. Similarly, there is a power committee which talks about getting NOCs too. Please raise some funds. That is the real test of a leader and not getting NOCs. Getting NOCs from the Babus is not such a heroic task. But it seems we will ridicule those who get the funding but make noise about shuffling of papers.
I think it is positive aspect is that Masood ul Mulk is putting his effort in the development of Chitral . If the funds is either used politically or not but the benefit goes directly to Chitrilies. Other political parties should also introduce such type of program and use the fund for their political interest as a result the benefit will go to subjugated Chitralies and this process will help us to diminish our troubles,reduce the unemployment ratio as well as put the Chitral in the track of development. In this way they can also turn the program in to a goldmine for the jobless peoples of their respective political parties and this is the best opportunity especially for JI, PML Nawaz, PTI.JUI because they are currently enjoying power in politics.
Most of the letters that have appeared in your paper seem to be based on ignorance and there is little attempt to ascertain facts.
Firstly, the government planned to initiate micro hydel electricity programme in ten districts of KP. The government had approached SRSP to implement this programme in all the ten districts. There are several statements on the Chief Minister to this effect. But SRSP correctly requested the government that this must be put through a bidding process. It also clarified that it did not want to work in more than three districts and selected Swat, Shangla and Kohistan for this purpose. There is thus no question of it competing for government funds in Chitral. AKRSP on the basis of competitive bidding was selected to implement this programme in Chitral. If any individual or organisation has problems with it they must approach the government rather than creating controversies. Since these are government funds it is expected that it would have a considerable say in deciding where the projects are to be implemented
Secondly, in the past several parties have approached SHYDO to allow them to build powerhouses at several locations in Chitral including Singoor but SHYDO was unwilling to allow any organisation to work over here. The letter issued by the government makes it clear that SHYDO was approached by the MNA that a no objection certificate must be issued to other parties to build powerhouses at several places in Chitral. SRSP which has raised considerable funds from international sources to build powerhouses and is working across all the districts of Malakand to do so was approached to do this at Singoor. It has clarified that if the community at Singoor and all the individuals through whose land the power channel runs agree to it, it is willing to work on the project. It is now for community elders to resolve such issues, if any, before the project is started because unless these issues are settled it would not be possible for SRSP to work over here.
Thirdly, none of the organisations or individuals have sought credit for their role in the hydel work. Some individuals are bent on dragging names and organisations into this which is really sad and reflects poorly on them. The funds that would be given to AKRSP are government funds and those SRSP works with are international funds given with explicit mandates. There is a group of volunteers in Chitral calling themselves the Power Committee. This group instead of making itself controversial by taking up political role should work with elders and other stakeholders to settle any issue that may hamper these projects. If this is not done it would be impossible for any organisation to work over here and the funds would either go wasted or to other districts. A good example in the press was Kalam in Swat where SRSP was able to rebuild a power house of SHYDO in six months and double the electricity output in that period when this power house had remained disfunctional for six years.
Lastly, since there are considerable funds likely to flow into Chitral from different sources to help in generating electricity the government should coordinate the work of different organisation to ensure that the investments are made at the right place and avoid duplication. This will ensure that all the places get electricity and the power houses are of the size we need rather than determined by other considerations.
So my request to everyone is not to waste their time and resources which are scarce and which are unlikely to be available always.
Masood has turned SRSP into a goldmine for jobless Katoors. The number of ul mulks in the organization is outrageous yet funny at the same time. Ironically, the projects are also personally and politically driven, first for his father in law and now for his brother in law.
For a district that has the highest literacy rates and is known for good understanding of issues what pathetic comments. There are little fact more an attempt to personalize issues. Firstly, let’s not confuse things. The funds given to AKRSP are part of the government of KP programme to invest in micro hydro electricity. With the same funds SRSP will be working in Swat, Shangla and Kohistan. They never prioritized working in Chitral. The government of KP asked SRSP to work through a single source contract in all the 10 districts where this project is being implemented. SRSP very wisely decided not to overstretch itself and decided to concentrate in three districts only. As for AKRSP being funded in Chitral, they won the contract through a competitive bidding. If anyone has a problem with that they should contact the government. I believe that since it’s going to be government funding they would have a say in where the projects are implemented. The issue of Singoor Project is different. A NOC has been obtained by the MNA for this project because previously no organisation was allowed to build a project over here. SRSP has not claimed it ever did this and neither should the self-styled Power Committee claim this. The letter issued by the government makes this evident. SRSP will only be funding this project through international funds it raises and not government funds if all the problems surrounding it related to individual rights etc, and land through which it passes are settled. In all the letters written above I am surprised that no one has bothered to check this fact and are attributing things to people and organisations when they never claimed or said it.
GOOD effort shahzada massod ul mulk. After 35 years he will set up a new powerhouse. This is a surprising message after 35 years. The credit only goes to power committee then shahzada sahib and then the people of shalli who gave there land without any condition. Everything depends on light from A TO Z/again thanks these three thing tanks.
Dear Sifat zareen
We Chitrali are very unfortunate people dont respect our own talented brain always praise other. Masood is a great brain and talented son of Chitral. We all know that he is always materialise politically driven projects but his efforts are really great in terms of fund raising from donors for the district.We are optimistic once he gets the KPK hydel funds he could be able to distribute the fund equally and the resources will be utilized in both the areas upper and lower Sunni/Ismail areas.In contrast if this not happen the funds will be automatically be used in those areas where AKRSP has invested since three decades.
I agreed that there should be monitoring committee to oversee the funds its equal distribution and utilization on bases of the priorities and needs.
@Zia what I wanted to say here is that it is the taxpayers’ money and Prince Masood, in no way, deserves an appreciation. He is the head of an NGO and it’s his job for which he is being paid a good sum of money from the donors’ money along with perks, privileges. As far as being top brain as you declare him, you will not find a single person within the NGOs with top brain. Yes, let me repeat they are not good brains rather they are manipulators. They can compromise on principles and even to some extend for them the national integrity doesn’t matter. Their job is to pursue a particular agenda in the name of development. So stop the propaganda of top brain and utilize the money for some good.
Thanks for Chitraltoday for the great news of NOC.
Congratulation I give this credit to POWER COMMITTEE for their everlasting efforts for NOC,
Now the committee will be play its strong role for future HYdel projects and utilization of public and NGO funds for the benefits of chitral.
I suggest to constitute a district level committee for the monitoring of GOVT as well as NGO funds for projects otherwise all these fund will be wasted like Golan gole water supply and Shishi Hydel projects.
The recent KPK hydel development funds should also be utilized through this committee so there will be no corruption as well as not a single village will be remained unelectrified.If such committee actively constitute by Deputy commissioner and bound both the org SRSP/AKRSP and also other GOVT organization like public health engineering/C&W shydo,Irrigation they will execute the projects and monitor them proper way.
What a compliment for Prince Masood. The gentleman from Singoor must have forgotten that the near and dear ones of this very prince have been in power one way or the other for the last several decades. And given the past track record I would like to give 0/0 marks to Mr Mulk who also happens a good friend of mine. No doubt he is a very talented guy but the problem with him is that he just jumps in wherever he sees some personal benefits. His priorities have always been areas which are political beneficial. He is man he can play a very good googly if he has even a little idea that the batsman in the front is an all rounder. Same is the case here and can the sole purpose of Shali hydro-power project and the one in Broghil is aimed at getting some votes in the next election, which is just round the corner if Imran succeeds in pressuring the government to hold mid-term elections. The people will who have just stepped into politics or wanna carry forward the family politics switch to other political parties with claims of serving the people of Chitral. But in reality these crocodile tears will be shed till the elections are over. then you will not see them unless there is new election. So the people of Chitral must differentiate which NGO is apolitical and which one misuses the donors’ money for for political purposes. However, no matter what the political chessboard of Chitral has completely been changed and there is very rare chance these people to exploit the innocent people.
Dear Zahid
Thanks for your great comments on SRSP and Masood sahib.There is no comment he is a man of great calibre and knowledge.
But we all should realize that organization never dependable on persons i think AKRSP is doing well and have completed more than 15 years with out Masood and developed more projects and perform great.
KPK funds are not so easy to transfer to any organization on our wishes and wants it can be only be possible through process i think AKRSP has got the funds through kpk PPRA rules and process we should accept it and cooperate AKRSP and its field team for the utilization of funds. transparently.
GREAT EFFORT BY MASOOD MULK AND REQUEST TO GET THE KPK FUNDS FOR HYDEL PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION OTHERWISE IT WILL BE WASTED AND WILL BE UTILIZED UNPRODUCTIVELY.
I think AKRSP top management and board will really miss you and your talents and hundred times think on their decision of losing such a great brain.
Your organization is doing good job inspite of some differences we really appreciate your org efforts but do not decide the projects on like and dislike bases and some politically tilt projects.