The unending cost escalation — 405 per cent (from Rs16.92 billion to Rs85.57bn) as per the unapproved third revised project cost (PC-I), as well as the prolonged delay in the Nai Gaj dam project’s completion, perhaps merit prime ministerial-level intervention to fix responsibility for why a project of vital importance remains incomplete even after 13 years.

Nai Gaj dam is primarily a rainwater harvesting project being built in the Kachho area, a hilly terrain of Dadu district.

Another potential loss is socio-economic — fisheries, farm benefits, etc — were assessed at Rs3.5bn per annum in 2012 when it was launched. All these costs have since increased multiple times.

The project has missed another completion date of June 2025 as per the second revised PC-I. Project officials said that the project is now expected to be completed on Jun 30, 2027, if work continues without a break. PC-I’s third revised cost of Rs85.57 bn — submitted to the government in Jan 2025 — is yet to be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

The situation warrants attention to determine how the project’s cost has increased from Rs16bn to Rs85bn, despite less than 50pc physical progress

One should not rule out even a fourth cost revision, considering the pace of work coupled with fiscal space availability in the federal government’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The project has been facing cost overruns due to multiple factors — funding, the........

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