Senate Panel Questions Balochistan Dam Projects

A Senate panel has questioned Balochistan dam projects over rising costs, delays and possible harm to local communities, and it has ordered fresh assessments and detailed reports from the authorities in charge. The Balochistan dam projects under review include the Panjgur Dam and the Gish Kaur Storage Dam, both part of a wider development package for the province.

The meeting was held in Islamabad by a Senate subcommittee on Less Developed Areas. Senator Jan Muhammad Baloch chaired the session, where officials from the Planning Commission and relevant departments briefed members on projects being implemented under the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan Package.

Balochistan dam projects: Panjgur flow worries senators

Senator Baloch raised concerns over the Panjgur Dam, warning that restricting the natural flow of the main river could adversely affect local communities and traditional irrigation systems. In a province where farming depends on scarce water, a change in river flow is not a technical detail. It decides whether fields get water, and whether long-standing irrigation channels keep working.

The senator sought detailed reports from Suparco and Wapda, particularly on the project’s potential impact on the local population and surrounding areas. That request puts the burden back on the implementing agencies: they must show, in writing, what the dam will do to the people who live downstream and depend on the river.

The concern is easy to understand. A dam stores water, and storage changes timing. Water held back in one season can leave downstream users short at the moment they need it most. Traditional irrigation systems, built around the river’s natural rhythm, are sensitive to exactly that kind of change.

Gish Kaur Storage Dam cost jumps fourfold

The committee also questioned the sharp rise in the revised cost of the Gish Kaur Storage Dam, from Rs11 billion to Rs44 billion. It asked the authorities to reassess the project’s financial viability and its benefits for local residents.

A fourfold cost rise raises two questions: whether the original estimate was realistic, and whether the project still offers value at the new price. A dam that made sense at Rs11 billion may not make sense at Rs44 billion, unless the benefits have grown by a similar amount. The panel’s instruction to reassess viability asks the authorities to justify the higher figure against what local residents will actually gain.

Roads and a separate accounts gap

Reviewing road infrastructure projects, officials told the panel that 86 per cent of the Quetta Bypass had been completed, while work on the Awaran-Hoshab Road was 64 per cent complete. The committee stressed the need for timely funding and completion of priority road projects, including the Karachi-Chaman Highway, so remote districts stay connected to markets, hospitals and schools.

A separate sitting added a second warning about public money in Balochistan. The Public Accounts Committee of the Balochistan Assembly, chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, expressed serious concern over a discrepancy of about Rs7.71 billion between the provincial government’s financial statements and State Bank records. It directed the Finance Department to establish an effective reconciliation mechanism and resolve outstanding audit objections within 45 days.

During a review of the Accountant General Balochistan’s certification audit report, the committee was told that, as of June 30, 2023, the government’s statements showed balances of more than Rs23.06 billion, while State Bank records reflected about Rs15.29 billion. Audit officials attributed the difference to poor record-keeping, unrecorded outstanding cheques and delays in reconciling accounts with the State Bank and the National Bank.

What the panel’s questions mean for Balochistan

The two sittings point in the same direction. Large projects in Balochistan need clearer numbers and clearer evidence of local benefit. The Senate panel is asking for reports, not halting work, but its questions set the terms for what comes next: fresh assessments on the dams, a viability review on Gish Kaur, and a 45-day deadline on the accounts gap.

The province’s infrastructure story continues on other fronts, including road funding questions covered in Dera Murad Jamali Bypass Stalls Over Funding. Security operations in the province were also in the news this week, as reported in 17 Terrorists Killed in Balochistan IBOs. The dam and accounts questions sit alongside those stories, as part of the same wider test of delivery in Balochistan.

What happens next

Suparco and Wapda must now submit the detailed reports sought on the Panjgur Dam, and the authorities behind the Gish Kaur Storage Dam must present a fresh viability assessment. The Finance Department faces a 45-day deadline to reconcile the Rs7.71 billion accounts gap and clear outstanding audit objections. The next panel sittings will show whether those answers arrive, and whether they satisfy the senators who asked for them.

Frequently asked questions

Which Balochistan dam projects did the Senate panel question?

The panel questioned the Panjgur Dam and the Gish Kaur Storage Dam, both implemented under the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan Package. It also reviewed road projects, including the Quetta Bypass and the Awaran-Hoshab Road.

What is the concern over the Panjgur Dam?

Senator Jan Muhammad Baloch warned that restricting the natural flow of the main river could adversely affect local communities and traditional irrigation systems. The panel sought detailed reports from Suparco and Wapda on the impact on the local population and surrounding areas.

How much has the Gish Kaur Storage Dam cost risen?

The revised cost rose from Rs11 billion to Rs44 billion. The committee asked the authorities to reassess the project’s financial viability and its benefits for local residents.

How complete are the road projects reviewed?

The Quetta Bypass is 86 per cent complete, and the Awaran-Hoshab Road is 64 per cent complete, according to officials who briefed the panel. The committee stressed timely funding for priority roads, including the Karachi-Chaman Highway.

What accounts gap did the Balochistan PAC find?

The Public Accounts Committee found a discrepancy of about Rs7.71 billion between the provincial government’s financial statements and State Bank records, as of June 30, 2023. It gave the Finance Department 45 days to establish a reconciliation mechanism and resolve outstanding audit objections.