Leader of the House for Senate, Shibli Faraz of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday said that the Lakhra Power Plant will be soon made operational by the government. The power plant was reportedly shutdown due to fire incident in the underground cable tunnel on July 20, 2017.
Also speaking on the issue, Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan told Senate that the repair of the Lakhra plant was completed in December 2017, and unit two is now ready for operation.
Babar Awan said that the persistent closure of the plant was due to negligence and the matter will be sent to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to look into.
Awan also said that a sum of Rs35 million has already been released earlier this year, to provincial irrigation department for the construction of Khazana Dam in Zimri , District Musakhel, Balochistan.
Answering the questions of Senator, Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel said that the PC-1 of Rs 300 million has been prepared and Rs 276 million has also been approved for the further constructing of the dam.
He said that a sum of Rs300 million had also been allocated for Khazana Dam, earlier in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18, but the Planning, Development & Reform Division reduced allocation by 30% in pursuance of Prime Minister’s Office approval dated on 25-4-2018.
Senator Musakhel Khan alleged that the site of the dam has been shifted after taking bribe of Rs 20 million to which Babar Awan asked him to name the official taking bribe so that he could be penalised and punished.
Published in Daily Times, August 29th 2018.
