MIRPUR AJK): Feb 22 (APP):Secretary Department of Electricity Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chaudhry Muhammad Tayyab on Tuesday said that the state government has signed two different agreements regarding increase in water use charges and environmental and community issues arising out of hydropower projects in AJK.
Tayyab expressed these views while addressing a press conference at the Directorate of Public Relations in the metropolis while Director General of Information Raja Azhar Iqbal and Chief Engineer Electronics Chaudhry Muhammad Zafar were also present on the occasion.
The first agreement, he said, was to increase the water use charges of WAPDA-run Mangla Dam Raising Project while the second agreement signed with NEPRA authorities was aimed at resolving issues relating to hydropower projects in Azad Kashmir.
Divulging the details of the tripartite agreement, Tayyab said, the agreement was reached to increase water use charges from 15 paise to 1-rupee 10 paisa in which the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Azad Kashmir and WAPDA were parties.
The second MOU, he said, was signed between the government of Azad Kashmir and NEPRA. Both the agreements, he said, were different in nature. Referring to the AJK government’s demand for uniform tariff, he said, water usage charges were being given to all provinces at the same rate.
“This has been the rightful demand of the government of Azad Kashmir”, he said water usage charges / royalties were also being given at Tarbela and Ghazi Brotha hydropower projects at the same rate.
The Secretary said that when the net hydroelectric profit was increased in the other provinces of Pakistan, our government too demanded an increase in the profit.
The issue, he said, has been pending on for the last 10 years and now it has been finalized.He said that the increase in water use charges will accordingly apply at the same rate to the Neelum-Jhelum hydraulic project and future projects. He said that the agreement was signed by Federal Secretary Water Resources on behalf of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Chief Secretary on behalf of Government of Azad Kashmir and Chairman WAPDA on behalf of WAPDA.
He made it clear that NEPRA was not a party to the agreement. “The impression being created that NEPRA has approved the agreement was wrong”, the secretary said adding it was purely an agreement between the federal government and the government of Azad Kashmir. NEPRA, he said, has no jurisdiction in AJK.
“It looks after matters relating to transmission and purchase of the electricity within Pakistan”, he said. He, however, maintained “usually a formal complaint is made to NEPRA in case a power generating project in Pakistan is reported to have adverse impacts on environment or creates community issues”.
NEPRA, he said, acts in accordance with the complaint and binds the company concerned to implement the agreement”. In AJK, the secretary said that the NEPRA faces difficulty in resolving these issues due to lack of its jurisdiction in the state. Keeping in view these issues the Government of Azad Kashmir signed an MOU with NEPRA so that in future such environmental or community problems could be resolved effectively.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
