The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved a revised Rs. 485 billion proposal for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project, which now includes the cost of acquiring helicopters for security purposes. The revised plan will be sent to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
The decision was made during a CDWP meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
Officials allowed the inclusion of helicopter procurement in the revised PC-1 strictly on security grounds and directed that the updated PC-1 for the dam component be submitted without further delay.
During the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal also expressed concern over delays in revising the project document, pointing out that six years had passed without an updated plan despite significant cost escalation. The project’s original approved cost was Rs. 480 billion in 2018.
