Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Planning and Development on Tuesday revealed before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that Nahakki Tunnel project in Mohmand Agency had been completed in violation of rules and due course.

The meeting was held in Parliament with leader of the opposition Syed Khurshid Shah in the chair.

Hidayat Ullah Khan pointed out during the meeting that the said project had been completed and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa had inaugurated the tunnel.

Khan, however, further pointed out that the project had been completed, but record provided by Ministry of Planning mentioned that only 20% funds were released.

“How was the project completed even when funds had not been released?” he asked.

On September 27, 2017 COAS Qamar Bajwa had inaugurated Nahakki Tunnel. The project had been completed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) in Mohmand Agency.

However, none of the secretaries present in PAC meeting was ready to take responsibility for the alleged violation of rules when the questions were raised by PAC members.

“I am able to only state that the project (Nahqi Tunnel) was completed prior to its approval. It was SAFRON’s project so the officials concerned may justify the project,” said Secretary Shoaib Saddiqui.

National Highways Authority Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar intervened and responded that it was FATA Secretariat’s project. “The tunnel was small and construction was speedily carried out by FWO in special circumstances,” he said.

PAC Chairman Khurshid Shah appreciated the efficiency, stating that although the PPRA Rules were violated, but it was a good omen that the project was completed at least.

The PAC meeting was summoned for briefing over projects under Public Sector Development Programme.

According to record provided by the Planning Ministry, the total number of schemes was 1,022, for which Rs 1,001 billion had been allocated.

The on-going projects are 573 for which Rs 534 billion had been allocated, while Rs 151 billion had been allocated for 429 new projects. Rs 62 billion had been allocated four 4 programmes in special areas, including AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and FATA.

During the meeting, members of the committee expressed concern over delay in on-going projects and their cost escalation due to revised estimations.

Regarding the Karachi sewerage project, Planning Secretary Shoaib Saddiqui stated that the cost of the project had been increased from Rs 7.9 billion to Rs 39 billion. The executing agency of the project is the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

He further added that mismanagement of executing agency had paved way for increase in cost of projects. He said that the matter had been taken up with the Sindh chief minister and officials concerned. The committee expressed anger over the absence of Rawalpindi deputy commissioner to justify the delay in construction of a college in Rawalpindi. The committee issued show cause notice to the deputy commissioner over his absence.

According to the record submitted by Planning Ministry, these 573 on-going projects include two to three decades old projects such as Neelum-Jhelum Project, Lowari Tunnel.

Committee member Naveed Qamar said that the problem existed in mechanism of projects adding that there was a need to examine that process including PC-I, PC-II and other procedural course through ECNEC and other forums.

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2017.