Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Water and Power has lost some 10544 transformers worth of more than Rs 10 billion in the year 2015 and the Ministry neither recovered the stolen transformers nor it has punished any official on negligence or corruption charges, the secret documents of the ministry revealed.

According to WAPDA Act 1959, it is the responsibility of Sectary of Water and Power to hold inquiry against the in charge official of the area and take punitive action against them if they found negligence.

The highest number of transformers has lost in Lahore region and the smallest number of transformer was lost in Quetta region, even after the Quetta was badly hit by law and order situation.

The well informed sources privy to this development told this scribe that without the connivance of the Ministry officials, no one could stole the electric equipment including transformers as it is highest dangerous act.

Daily Time repeatedly approached Sectary Water and Power Younas Dhaga and Minister Abid Sher Ali for their views over the loss of thousand transformer in one years, but they neither denied or confirmed this report.

The secret documents, the copy of which obtained by this scribe, the Ministry has received the amount of more than Rs 10 billion from power consumer by giving them inflated bills.

It is customary in the power secret, if the transformer of any person or from any installation is stolen; the consumers are bound to pay the total amount of the transformer for second time installation.

According to the report, 148 transformers worth of Rs 47 million have been stolen from FESCO region and 913 transformers worth of Rs 127 million were stolen from Gujranwala region.

The report says, within the jurisdiction of HESCO, 48 transformers worth of Rs 33 million were stolen and 254 transformers worth of Rs 26 million were stolen from IESCO.

According to the report, 4817 transformer worth of Rs 1462 million were stolen from Lahore region LESCO and 1067 transformer worth of Rs 289 million have been stolen from MEPCO, Multan region a home town of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Geelani.

It was stated in the report that highest number of transformers heist was recorded during the regime of PPP.

The Peshawar region known as PESCO sees only 2543 transformer worth of Rs 220 million were stolen and in QESCO region only 26 transformer worth of Rs 12 million were stolen, although the region is worst hit by law and order situation.

In Sukkar Region only 628 transformers worth of Rs 186 million were lost and electric equipment worth of Rs 18 million were stolen from TEPCO.

A widespread corruption and gross financial irregularities amounting to Rs 20 billion has come to fore in the Ministry of Water and Power amid the reports that corrupt officers of this ministry have awarded the contract to NAI Gaj company for the construction of water reservoir in the jurisdiction of district Dadu Sindh. In order to giver undue favour to the company, the corrupt officials of the ministry has now changed the PC-1 of this project.

The federal government wanted to build a water reservoir near Dadu for irrigation purpose so that the thousand acre of barren land could be used for agriculture purpose.

It was revealed in a document presented to parliamentary committee that the concerned officers have been found changing PC 1 to fulfil their own vested interests and the rules and the procedure are being violated flagrantly.

Planning Ministry had approved this project against the cost of construction of over Rs 26.23 billion and Zardari Government had approved this PC-1 during 2012. The government has also allowed escalating 15 percent in the cost of construction.

The official documents revealed that despite approval of PC-1 against Rs 26236.03 million, contract of this dam was awarded against Rs 38792.14 million to a foreign company in 2015-16. This way a colossal loss of Rs 13 billion has been inflicted on the national kitty.

Secretary water and power, minister for water and power and chairman Wapda have played key role in this horrendous scam who has afforded extraordinary benefit to the foreign company.

In a bid to cause more than 20 billion loss to the national exchequer, the corrupt officials wants to bring the cost of the project to more than Rs 46 billion .

Government documents reveal that ministry of water and power has worked out a fresh PC-1 worth Rs 46.56 billion of this dam to allow more financial benefit to foreign firm including 15 percent increase in the cost of construction of the dam has also been allowed. This second PC-1 has been forwarded to ECNEC for approval. This PC-1 was evolved in November, 2015.

The reasons behind enhancing the cost of construction of dam from Rs 26 billion to Rs 46 billion is stated to be construction of link roads. The cost of construction of these link roads has been estimated at Rs 20 billon.

Despite committing robbery on national exchequer the construction of dam has not been ensured so far.

Secretary water and power and minister for water and power and chairman WADA approached for their comment but all the officials are reluctant to give any reply on the alleged billion of rupees corruption in the construction of dam.