President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said the government has chosen Salang as TUTAP project route based on development and economic rationality.
In a video message following mass demonstrations for changing the route of the project from Bamyan to Salang, President Ghani urged that the people should not compromise with the key national development projects through emotionally and politically.
President Ghani further added that much time was consumed for the study of the project and a key donor of the project which is the Asian Development Bank has asked to implement it.
He said the government is committed to ensure the supply of electricity to Bamyan province, emphasizing that the country is facing lack of budget to finance the development projects.
The remarks by Ghani comes as thousands of people organized demonstrations in Bamyan and Kabul provinces to protest against the change of the route of TUTAP, besides several politicians have called on the government to reconsider its decision and ensure justice in implementation of development projects.
A prominent political leader and second deputy to Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Mohaqiq has warned to stop cooperation with the government if the 500kV mega power project is not implemented via Bamyan province.
The Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish first expressed concerns regarding the implementation of the project via Salang.
He wrote a letter to the Ministry of Energy and Water and Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat earlier in January this year and called for technical approach to implement the project, considering the needs of the residents of the central provinces for their access to energy who have repeatedly demanded the government to ensure social justice while executing such projects.
Danish also pointed towards the survey conducted by the Fichtner Engineering Company in 2013 for a 20-year master plan of Afghanistan, a report of which was presented to the Asian Development Bank and Ministry of Energy and Water, and said the Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat is ignoring the technical views of Fichtner.
