Sardar Hussain Babak, Maulana Lutfur Rahman say officer was a competent and honest man. PHOTO: FILE
The opposition defended Durrani, saying he is an asset to the province and a competent bureaucrat whose reputation Muhammad Atif tried to malign.
Opposition Leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman raised the issue in his address on the K-P supplementary budget. Muhammad Atif responded to Rahman by saying there was no difference of opinion between Durrani and the K-P government.
“The government had decided to run PEDO like it is a corporate sector entity,” he said. “Instead of posting bureaucrats, it wanted to bring people from the market at competent salaries.”
Muhammad Atif answered points raised by Durrani in his resignation letter to the chief minister. He added Durrani was against the micro hydel power plants and was looking towards bigger projects.
PEDO’s sales tax: PHC restrains FBR from recovering levy
The education minister also took the chance to take a swipe at Durrani, who is also a former Wapda chairperson. He said the central power and water utility was one of the worst managed and most corrupt companies in the country. He also challenged the former PEDO chairperson to prove corruption charges against him in court.
The minister said provincial authorities had been contacting Wapda and NTDC to pay a transmission line to connect Machai and Ranolia to the national grid. However, the work is yet to be done.
“The chief minister accepted his resignation and directed us to investigate allegations raised in PEDO board of directors meeting.”
ANP leader Sardar Hussain Babak lashed out at Muhammad Atif, saying Durrani’s competence was apparent.
“You recruit people and call them competent, saying they were hired through a transparent process. However, after four months you remove them and insult them through allegations.”
Bureaucratic hurdles
He also criticised the chief minister’s speech on Wednesday in which Khattak claimed the bureaucracy had to be taken to task.
“It depends on political will and policies of the government. If depends on how you their services. How can the bureaucracy work with you if you speak against them in every speech?” he asked.
Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation chairperson resigns
Raja Faisal Zaman of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also defended Durrani and called him a competent and honest officer. “Incompetence in itself is corruption,” he told Muhammad Atif.
Babak was against handing over hydropower projects to the private sector. He asked the government to take loans instead as it will lose rights over electricity royalty since power will be generated by privately-constructed projects.
“You are losing your hand over the royalty of projects for 30 years. Why don't you take loans which you can pay back in 10 years?” he asked.
Babak said the deficit in the 2015-16 budget was an outcome of political interference in the finance department, which was pitching the ADP at realistic figures and not inflated ones as presented.
He sought details of funds released for the Billion Tree Tsunami project in the 2015-16 budget and the progress made. Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Environment Ishtiaq Urmar said the department received Rs3.7 billion for the project of which Rs1.14 billion was utilised and the rest surrendered.
Babak said if the government was truly against extending the Customs Act, 1969 to Malakand Division, it should take up the matter with the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2016.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ