ISLAMABAD, APR 2 – Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Thursday that the government aims to request the use of Dam fund in its fight against the deadly coronavirus.The former finance minister took to Twitter to address recently posed questions on utilizing the dam fund in this distressing time for the country.
He said that people have been asking questions about the progress of Diamer Bhasha Dam and the Dam fund, in reply to which he said that up till now, almost Rs99 billion have been spent on the project, mainly for the acquisition of land. He said that Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) plans to award the contract for construction of the dam and its related structures in the coming weeks. He also gave a tentative deadline of the completion of the entire project as 2027-2028.
Regarding the Dam fund, Asad Umar said that the fund, amounting some Rs12 billion, has been kept under supervision of the Supreme Court. Therefore, the government aims to approach the Supreme Court to request the utilization of the money in Dam fund for efforts against the coronavirus.
