Foundation stone laying of Bhasha Dam on 18th: PM

The Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in his address in National Assembly said that the foundation of the Basha Dam will be laid on October 18.He said that it is a mega project and the government has presented it before the Council of Common Interest (CCI) to take approval of all the stakeholders so that it could not be politicised like Kala Bagh Dam. He said the meeting of CCI was attended by the four chief ministers and they approved the project unanimously, adding that the Diamir Bhasha Dam was a dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the PPP-led government is committed to materialise it.Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar said that loadshedding has come to an end in the country. On the other hand, the opposition has rejected the tall claims of the government regarding ending the loadshedding in the country.It is also said by the opposition members that the main reason of loadshedding was ineligibility of the government rather than ground realities. The government members were of the view that the Opposition was doing politics of violence in order to deflect the attention of the people from dengue virus.The Punjab government neither took proper measures to cope with the dengue nor appointed provincial health minister said the opposition MPs. The ANP’s Haider Ali Shah said that all the provinces should be bound to generate 1000 to 2000 MW electricity on their own in accordance to 18th Amendment.The Prime Minister while responding to point of orders in the National Assembly recalled that Lowari Tunnel project was launched during the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government.PM Gilani said that he has convened two meetings on the project that requires Rs. 2 billion for completion, adding that the amount would soon be provided to complete the remaining work on the project.The Prime Minister vowed that all the mega projects are including Diamir Bhasha Dam, Thar Coal, Lowari Tunnel, Neelum-Jehlum, Mangla uprising and others would be completed by the government. He said the PPP-led government launched unprecedented mega projects throughout the country for its prosperity and uplift of the people’s living standard.