ISLAMABAD: The federal government has made WAPDA Chairman Zafar Mahmood a scapegoat to hide its incompetence on the failure regarding a timely completion of Neelum Jhelum power project.
The federal government neither issued the funds allocated for the project in time nor was any payment commenced regarding the project, due to which it looks very difficult that the dam would be completed within its stipulated period of time till July 2017.
On Monday Chairman WAPDA attended a high level meeting in which he was emphasised to complete all the power projects well in time under his supervision.
The sources said that the government assigned the task of completing the project to Chairman WAPDA, who demanded the funds again and again but the government could not issue the finances for the project due to which under immense pressure.
Sources also revealed that the articles written by the Chairman WAPDA in favour of Kalabagh Dam also become the cause of his departure , as the three provinces except Punjab raised their apprehensions on it and termed these article against the constitution and violation of 18th amendment.
Due to these articles the difference between federation and provinces were extended and the provincial governments begun to point fingers at the federal government. The sources said that government was confused because of the fact that it could not overcome loadshedding by 2018.
The high-ups of Ministry of Water and Power have made tall claims but as a matter of fact they did nothing to eradicate the power crises from the country. There arises a question that if the government was not issuing the funds for 65MW Neelum Jhelum project, then Chairman WAPDA could not be blamed .
After the meeting Chairman WAPDA announced his resignation but well placed sources told Daily Times that the main reason of his resignation was the non issuance of funds for Neelum Jhelum project as the government was pressing him hard to complete the project, but on the other hand it did not release funding. The government has accepted the resignation of former Chairman WAPDA Zafar Mehmood and appointed Lt.Gen.(R) Muzzamil as new chairman WAPDA.