MANSEHRA: The people of Kohistan have announced not to impede work on the Dasu dam project in future, but demanded of the government to constitute a committee to address their grievances, mainly concerning fair price of their land falling in the project area.

`We welcome the approval of funds for Dasu dam project by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) and would not restrict mobility of the machinery at the site, but now the government should sincerely address our demands for the smooth execution of this hydroelectric project,` said Ihsanul Haq, the president of traders body, while speaking to mediapersons on Sunday.

The work on the dam project was stopped by the local people in early February and a jirga chaired by Kohistan deputy commissioner on March 21 also discussed allowing Wapda to resume the work. The Ecnec in its meeting held in Islamabad on March 28 had approved Rs486 billion for the first phase of 4,320 MW Dasu Hydropower Project.

Mr Haq, who had also served as union nazim of Thoti union council which would be affected by reservoir of the dam, said that people would not create hurdles to smooth execution of the project if the government would pay them price/compensation of their land like those affected by Diamer-Basha dam.

`We are law-abiding people and welcome such projects, but the government should show flexibility and compensate people accordingly,` he said. He said that a committee, which was constituted by the local people to settle issues with the government, had floated 18-point charter of demands.

`The government should also constitute a committee to discuss these demands and accept those concerning our rights,` Mr Haq. He said that the dam located some 10 kilometres from Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan, would pave the way for development in the area.

The representative of Wapda in Kohistan, Mohammad Farooq, has forwarded the Kohistan committee`s charter of demands to the federal government last week.

MPA from Lower Kohistan Abdul Haq Khan also justified the people`s demand concerning land prices and said that if affected people of Diamer-Basha dam could be paid at a certain rate then the government should also seriously consider the demand of Dasu people.