Dasu hydropower project: Irregularities worth billions unearthed

ISLAMABAD: Financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in the Dasu hydropower project have been unearthed before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The session was chaired by Noor Alam Khan in which the committee review the Ministry of Water Resources audit report for the year 2019-20.

The committee advised a forensic audit of the construction of dams and other five projects including Bhasha Dam, Dasu, Mohmand, Neelam Jhelum and K-IV projects.

According to audit officials, three contracts were finalised at a cost of Rs22.88 billion in the year 2016-17. The advance amount of Rs4.58 billion was given to contractors but the development work is not started after five years.

The Ministry of Water Resources officials told the PAC that the development work was not started due to the World Bank’s timeline for the disbursement of funds.

A PAC member Barjees Tahir expressed outrage at the officials and said that it is the ministry’s responsibility to protect the national interest instead of representing the World Bank.

It was also revealed that 114 persons were recruited on a contractual basis by the ministry. The PAC chairman directed to immediately terminate the contractual employees to reduce the financial burden on the national exchequer.