The Neelum-Jhelum delay

This refers to the editorial, ‘Neelum-Jhelum in trouble’ (July 8). It is surprising that the cost of the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project has increased manifold – from the proposed Rs130 billion in 2007 to Rs418 billion as of right now. Even after a lapse of eight years there is no assurance that the current estimate will be the final one.
Our misplaced priorities have been taking a heavy toll on the completion of various projects. We have been placing undue importance on those projects, which are generally non-productive – the metro-bus projects in Lahore and in Islamabad/Rawalpindi are a case in point. Was it not better if the funds utilised for these two projects were diverted towards completion of a strategically important project (Neelum-Jhelum) which would have contributed 969MW electricity to the national grid and helped overcome loadshedding? Now, we have no funds for the completion of the Neelum-Jhelum project. Although a Chinese bank is ready to lend money and some Middle Eastern lenders may also arrange finances, as mentioned in the editorial, the absence of a sovereign guarantee appears to be the main issue. Instead of completing those projects that are already in the pipeline we are more interested in initiating new ones.
Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan
Rawalpindi