In session: Monument project delay comes under fire at PA
Five ordinances and four bills were introduced in the House
Five ordinances and four bills were introduced in the House . PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The debate at the Provincial Assembly session on Wednesday focused on the Bab-i-Pakistan project. Lawmakers from opposition benches accused the parliamentary secretary of information and culture for spreading misinformation regarding the delayed project.
Five ordinances, including the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Ordinance 2016 and the Punjab Local Government (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2016 were introduced.
Four bills including the Infrastructure Development Authority of the Punjab (amendment) Bill 2016, Parks and Horticulture Authority (amendment) Bill 2016 and the University of Home Economics Lahore Bill 2016 and the Provincial Motor Vehicles (amendment) Bill 2016 were also introduced in the House.
The proceedings were suspended over lack of quorum pointed out by Ehsan Riaz Fatyana. When Fatyana pointed out the quorum the second time, the session was adjourned till Thursday.
The Bab-i-Pakistan project includes construction of a monument at the site of a refugee camp established in 1947. Members from Opposition benches protested over the delay in its completion and demanded formation of a parliamentary committee to probe the matter and submit a report to the House.
Leader of Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said, “For eight years, funds have not utilised for the project despite an initial investment of Rs1 billion.”
Rasheed said the design of the project was being altered. He criticised the government for plans to commercialise a belt in the area and lease plots there.
Syed Waseem Akhtar from the Jamaat-i-Islami said rumours regarding distribution of plots of high commercial value were at the heart of the problem. He said the project had been held up since 2006. “The House must take up the matter,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary Rana Arshad responded by saying that there had been progress on the project. When he showed some documents, an argument erupted. Accepting adjournment motions moved by Akhtar and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, the Speaker asked Arshad to present a reply next week.
The Treasury and Opposition benches continued to complain about the parliamentary secretary’s failure to respond to their queries during the question hour on agriculture, information and culture, and livestock and dairy development.
Amjad Javed and Mian Tahir demanded details of the work completed by the department on several projects including the Lyallpur Museum, the Majlis-i-Taraqi-i-Adab and Bab-i-Pakistan Foundation. Arshad failed to respond.
The absence of the livestock secretary was pointed out by MPA Amjad Ali Javed. Food Minister Bilal Yasin informed the House that the secretary had been summoned to court for a hearing.
The leader of opposition also took up what he called was the failure of assembly sessions to be held in accordance with the assembly calendar.
He said earlier this year, the assembly rules were revised and a calendar was formed.
“The current session was scheduled originally to be held on August 4. It was delayed to August 22,” he said.
He urged the speaker to call the next session according to the calendar.
The Speaker replied that the current session had been called after checking with the opposition leader.
The law minister said Independence Day events had disturbed the calendar. He said tentative dates could always be changed.
The issue of traffic congestion caused by commercialisation of residential areas in Gulberg II was raised by Sheikh Alauddin.
He said a committee should be constituted to review Lahore Development Authority’s commercialisation policy.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Tanveer Aslam said that under reclassification plan, commercial status was given to Gulberg II to allow schools. He said plans had been approved for multi-storeyed buildings.
The Chair asked the two parties to discuss the matter further to resolve it within a fortnight.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2016.
The debate at the Provincial Assembly session on Wednesday focused on the Bab-i-Pakistan project. Lawmakers from opposition benches accused the parliamentary secretary of information and culture for spreading misinformation regarding the delayed project.
Five ordinances, including the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Ordinance 2016 and the Punjab Local Government (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2016 were introduced.
Four bills including the Infrastructure Development Authority of the Punjab (amendment) Bill 2016, Parks and Horticulture Authority (amendment) Bill 2016 and the University of Home Economics Lahore Bill 2016 and the Provincial Motor Vehicles (amendment) Bill 2016 were also introduced in the House.
The proceedings were suspended over lack of quorum pointed out by Ehsan Riaz Fatyana. When Fatyana pointed out the quorum the second time, the session was adjourned till Thursday.
The Bab-i-Pakistan project includes construction of a monument at the site of a refugee camp established in 1947. Members from Opposition benches protested over the delay in its completion and demanded formation of a parliamentary committee to probe the matter and submit a report to the House.
Leader of Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said, “For eight years, funds have not utilised for the project despite an initial investment of Rs1 billion.”
Rasheed said the design of the project was being altered. He criticised the government for plans to commercialise a belt in the area and lease plots there.
Syed Waseem Akhtar from the Jamaat-i-Islami said rumours regarding distribution of plots of high commercial value were at the heart of the problem. He said the project had been held up since 2006. “The House must take up the matter,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary Rana Arshad responded by saying that there had been progress on the project. When he showed some documents, an argument erupted. Accepting adjournment motions moved by Akhtar and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, the Speaker asked Arshad to present a reply next week.
The Treasury and Opposition benches continued to complain about the parliamentary secretary’s failure to respond to their queries during the question hour on agriculture, information and culture, and livestock and dairy development.
Amjad Javed and Mian Tahir demanded details of the work completed by the department on several projects including the Lyallpur Museum, the Majlis-i-Taraqi-i-Adab and Bab-i-Pakistan Foundation. Arshad failed to respond.
The absence of the livestock secretary was pointed out by MPA Amjad Ali Javed. Food Minister Bilal Yasin informed the House that the secretary had been summoned to court for a hearing.
The leader of opposition also took up what he called was the failure of assembly sessions to be held in accordance with the assembly calendar.
He said earlier this year, the assembly rules were revised and a calendar was formed.
“The current session was scheduled originally to be held on August 4. It was delayed to August 22,” he said.
He urged the speaker to call the next session according to the calendar.
The Speaker replied that the current session had been called after checking with the opposition leader.
The law minister said Independence Day events had disturbed the calendar. He said tentative dates could always be changed.
The issue of traffic congestion caused by commercialisation of residential areas in Gulberg II was raised by Sheikh Alauddin.
He said a committee should be constituted to review Lahore Development Authority’s commercialisation policy.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Tanveer Aslam said that under reclassification plan, commercial status was given to Gulberg II to allow schools. He said plans had been approved for multi-storeyed buildings.
The Chair asked the two parties to discuss the matter further to resolve it within a fortnight.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2016.