A delegation of Balakot, Mansehra called on Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan here on Thursday and discussed with him various matters related to the construction of Balakot Hydro Power Project with special focus on the issue faced by the local population in the regard.
The delegation was headed by the Special Assistant to CM Ahmad Hussain Shah. Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Secretary Energy & Power Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Special Secretary to CM Muhammad Khaliq, Chief Executive Officer PEDO Muhammad Naeem, Deputy Commissioner Mansehra Adnan Betani and other concerned officials were also present on the occasion.
Talking to the delegates, the chief minister said that all the due rights of the local population affected by Balakot Hydro Power Project would be protected and there would be no injustice to any one adding that all the commitments made to the land owners and local populations would be fulfilled and their grievances to this effect would be resolved on priority basis.
He remarked that appointment against the non-technical positions under the project was the right of local people and assured that first priority will be given to local population in the recruitment against non-technical positions including class-IV for the project adding that project office would be established at Mansehra instead of Peshawar. He also decided to constitute a committee comprising district administration, PEDO authorities and local elites in order to ensured recruitment of local people against the non-technical positions under the project.
The chief minister said that the provincial government will extend its all possible support to give maximum relief to the effectees of the project. It was also told on the occasion that upon the completion of the project, a good deal of royalty share would be spent on the wellbeing of local population whereas issue of load shedding in the area would be resolved on sustainable basis by supplying electricity to Balakot Grid Station from Balakot Hydro Power Project. The chief minister on the occasion, directed the authorities of Energy & Power Department to take necessary steps to include leftover houses in social economic survey of the project. With regard to certain complaints by effectees of Sukhi Kinary Hydro Power Project, the chief minister directed the Commissioner Hazara Division to look into the matter and submit in a report as well.
