CDA reprimanded for misleading Senate panel

Mandviwala allows SNGPL to cut connections of all lawmakers who fail to pay their dues for two months

ISLAMABAD: The chief civic agency of the federal capital was reprimanded by a Senate panel on Wednesday for the slow progress of work at the Parliament Lodges and for allegedly awarding a contract for a cafeteria without fulfilling all the rules.

Further, defaulting lawmakers were sent a stern warning about paying their bills on Wednesday when the chairman of a Senate panel gave the gas utility the green light to cut connections of all those residents of the Parliament Lodges who have not paid their dues for two months.

This was directed by the Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwala during a meeting of the Senate House Committee which met at the Parliament Lodges on Wednesday.

During Wednesday’s meeting, which Mandviwala chaired, issues pertaining to the progress report on issuing new tenders for a cafeteria, coffee shop, laundry and other shops at the lodges among other issues were discussed.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) raised the issue of unpaid bills by lawmakers.

"I will lodge an FIR against you if you bring up such things before the committee," warned Mandviwala, stating that it was the responsibility of the utility to recover unpaid bulls from occupants of the lodges instead of keeping quiet about the matter for years.

He allowed the utility to sever connections for all such lawmakers who have not paid their dues for more than two months.

The Senate deputy chairman further said that it was not the responsibility of any new occupant to pay the dues of their predecessor and directed gas officials to restore connections to lodges of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Rana Sanaulllah and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.

Earlier at the outset of the meeting, the chairman reprimanded officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for misleading the committee over awarding a contract for the canteen of the Parliament Lodges.

The committee was told that the CDA had awarded a contract for the canteen to an Islamabad-based catering service free of cost allegedly on the directives of Sardar Muhammad Sadiq, the personal assistant to former National Assembly deputy speaker.

The officials of the National Assembly Secretariat, however, categorically denied the allegation. They maintained that the matter was between the CDA and Sadiq’s personal secretary. They further stated that they have no record about this, nor do they have anything to do with paying the Rs3.6 million outstanding gas bill for the canteen.

The members of the committee expressed concerns on the canteen closing down for the holy month of Ramazan.

CDA officials, however, assured the committee that the canteen will be functional during Ramazan since they have received filled tender documents from different companies.

“How can you award a fresh contract to someone without clearing the dues and restoration of the gas connection,” questioned Senator Ashok Kumar.

Senator Mandviwala, however, referred the matter to the National Assembly speaker for directions on paying the gas bill and restoring the canteen in Ramazan.

Regarding the construction of the new block of the lodges, Mandviwala expressed concerns regarding the lack of progress on the project.

The committee also reviewed a list of renovations and repairs effected in lodges since March 2018.

The convener also decided to seek the advice of the National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman to formulate a mechanism for completing work and allotting lodges.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2019.