Senate panel views Chakdara-Dir motorway as viable
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A motorway connecting Chakdara and Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) could be commercially viable enough to attract private firms to partner with the government on the project.
This was the view of some members of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications which met at the Parliament Lodges on Tuesday with Senator Hidayatullah Khan in the chair.
While discussing the Chakdara-Dir Motorway, the committee was informed that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is planning to construct a highway to bridge the current 54 kilometres-long route from Chakdara to Rabat in what will be a public-private partnership (PPP) programme.
The PC-II for the appointment of a consultant to conduct commercial and financial feasibility study has been prepared and approved for a cost of Rs25 million. Bids have been received in response to the request for proposals floated on August 30, 2020. Now, the bids are being evaluated and it is expected that a consultancy contract for the project will be awarded in the first week of October.
The K-P Highway Authority (PKHA) has worked out a tentative cost of the project including land acquisition and resettlement to the tune of Rs13.5 billion.
The construction of the motorway will provide better communication facilities while bypassing the stated bottle-necks and will shorten the distance to just 28km.
Committee Chairman Senator Hidayatyllah said that this project is a public-private partnership project and keeping in view the traffic congestion on the route, it can be safely deemed commercially viable. The committee was further informed that a traffic count will be conducted in the instance.
The committee, however, expressed its concern over the standards of PKHA and enquired whether it was in line with the NHA. The committee, however, was assured that the only difference was in the tariff rates of the two projects.
Hidayatullah said that constructing the highway was imperative for road safety. However, Chakdara project director’s chief engineer was asked to appear before the committee in its next meeting.
Regarding the Swat Expressway, the committee objected to the quality of work on the project and directed that work must be completed as per NHA standards.
Taking up the issue of payment to landowners whose land had been acquired for the construction of a road from Kaghan to Babusar, Hidayatullah expressed grave displeasure regarding the delay. He asserted that the rates for the land determined in 1999 could not be applied today. This would be a gross violation of rights.
He said that if a compliance report is not submitted in the next meeting, constitutional action will be taken against the Ministry.
Deliberating over the issue of the attack on the personal vehicle of Senator Mirza Afridi near Behra Service Area on Motorway and security situation on Sialkot – Lahore Motorway; the committee asserted that installation of functional cameras needs to be assured on motorways.
Earlier, the meeting commenced with a discussion on the number of toll plazas set up on the motorway and the mode of awarding contracts. Senators asserted the need for transparency while awarding contracts.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2020.