ECNEC approves land acquisition, resettlement plan for Diamer Bhasha Dam

Islamabad: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has given an in-principle approval for the land acquisition and resettlement plan of the Diamer Bhasha Dam, a news source reported. In addition, the committee has also sanctioned an upward cost revision for the initiative.

Read: Diamer Bhasha Dam: Minister Umar directs to increase work pace for meeting project deadline

The land acquisition and resettlement plan of the dam would now cost PKR 175.43 billion. ECNEC has also instructed the Planning Division to further rationalise the cost of the pay and allowances component of the Diamer Bhasha project.

Chaired by Advisor to Prime Minister (PM) on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the ECNEC meeting also approved the following projects:

• Construction of the Lodhran-Multan Section of the N-15 Motorway, along with construction of two flyovers at the Railway Crossing of the Lodhran Bypass
• Punjab Human Capital Investment Project
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Project (KP-IAIP)

Read: Construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam to start in few weeks: WAPDA Chairman

In total, the ECNEC meeting approved four mega projects with a cumulative cost of PKR 250 billion.