The Panelists have shared a draft report of their findings with the Inspection Requesters and ADB management for their comments.
In March 2004, the four Panelists selected to inspect the Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project spent several days in the project area visiting the site and meeting with the Inspection Requesters and representatives of the project’s executing agency.
The Inspection Requesters were dissapointed with the following aspects of the Panelists’ visit:
- The Panelists’ lodging during the field visit was about a two hour drive away from the project affected area. The long commute limited the number of hours the Panelists were able to spend with the affected communities.
- During their time in the project area, the Panel was required by the ADB to be accompanied by four uniformed and armed police guards. The presence of the police guards was intimidating to the affected communities.
- The interpretors hired by the ADB did not speak English well enough to interpret effectively. The requestors also felt the interpretors were unsympathetic to the affected communities because their translations were often inaccurate.
The Inspection Panel recently completed a draft report of its findings. They have sent it to the Requesters and to ADB management so that both groups have an opportunity to comment on the draft before the final report is submitted to the ADB Board for approval.