Rs11B Irregularities Uncovered in Dasu Hydropower Audit

PESHAWAR: A 2023 special audit report has exposed staggering financial irregularities exceeding Rs11 billion in the Dasu Hydropower Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, uncovering a web of irregular payments, fraudulent land classifications, and untraceable funds, according to a submission to relevant authorities.

The audit revealed that Rs868 million was disbursed as compensation to families excluded from the original resettlement plan. It further identified manipulations in land classifications, deviating from the approved PC-I document, resulting in irregularities worth Rs5.8 billion.

Specifically, 6,183 kanals of barren land were falsely reclassified as cultivable and residential, inflating compensation claims. Additionally, Rs556 million was overpaid for constructed properties within the project area.

The report flagged Rs223 million in unjustified payments for tree compensation and noted that Rs654 million allocated to the Land Acquisition and Assessment Unit was untraceable in official records.

Further, land acquisition funds were improperly held in a current account rather than a designated account, causing a financial loss of Rs1.49 billion. In another breach of the PC-I, Rs430 million was paid as incentives to unauthorized personnel.