The World Bank appointed neutral expert, Raymond Lafitte, is arriving in Jammu, the winter capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Saturday to study the 450 mega watt Baglihar Hydro-power-project, PTI reported Friday.

Lafitte, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, as head of the World Bank team, would visit the site on Oct. 2, PTI said.

Pakistan had approached the World Bank for its arbitration in the dam, which India is building in the Kashmir region (under its control), after the two neighbors failed to reach any understanding this January.

Islamabad views the construction of the dam in the Indian- controlled Kashmir a violation of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960, which bars India from interfering with the flow of the three rivers feeding Pakistan -- the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum -- but which allows it to generate electricity from them.

Officials from India and Pakistan would be accompanying Lafitte, the agency report said.

Meanwhile, according to agency, officials from India and Pakistan would meet in the Indian capital in November to thrash out their differences over the controversial project.

The officials would be visiting the project site from Nov. 7-9 before holding talks from Nov. 10-12, the PTI quoted sources as saying.

Sources said Lafitte already held initial round of talks with both sides in Paris in June during which officials of the two countries forwarded their written submissions reiterating their respective stands on the project.

Under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty, Lafitte's decision would be final and binding on both sides.

The World Bank could, however, appoint arbitration panel if both sides were not satisfied with his decision, they said.

Source: Xinhua