WAPDA projects may hit snag over funds delay

PAC sub-panel told Rs5b okayed by Planning Commission yet to be received

ISLAMABAD:

A sub-panel of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Tuesday was informed that important projects of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) might hit a delay as Rs5 billion approved for them by the Planning Commission this month had not been received yet.

The water resources secretary further told the sub-committee that they have been visiting different ministries for the past 25 days for this purpose but to no avail.

The convener of the sub-committee, MNA Barjees Tahir, reprimanded the Planning Division as well as finance ministry for the delay in the provision of funds.

The officials of the finance ministry told the committee that it was the responsibility of the Planning Division to issue the funds.

The sub-committee meeting started with the presence of only its convener but despite the lack of quorum, he allowed it to continue in any case.

During the meeting, the audit reports of the water resources ministry from 2017-18 to 2018-19 were reviewed.

It was also disclosed during the meeting that the water resources ministry’s rehabilitation of the Jabban Hydropower Plant in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that should have cost Rs1.3 billion was completed at an amount of Rs3.95 billion.

The audit report stated that the project was supposed to be finished in November 2011 but was completed in 2018.

The audit officials said the project had been completed for five years but PC-4 had not been approved.

The sub-committee directed the authorities to have the PC-4 approved by the Planning Commission within 15 days.

It was also revealed that over Rs1 billion was lost because of a fault in a power unit of Gomal Zam Dam.

The audit report read that in 2016, the entire plant was shut down due to the failure of one of its units.

WAPDA officials said the project contract had been awarded but there was difficulty in opening the letter of credit (LC).

They expressed their concerns over the project remaining shut for nearly seven years.

The convener noted that the problem of LC not opening was new while the project had been closed for seven years in any case.

A day earlier, another sub-panel of the PAC reprimanded the officials of the industry ministry and Engineering Development Board (EDB) over the exploitation of car purchasers.

Chairing a meeting of the PAC sub-committee on Monday, Saleem Mandviwalla said the vehicles being manufactured locally were of extremely poor quality and sold at exorbitant prices.

He noted that the people of Pakistan preferred imported used vehicles over the new locally-assembled ones.

He warned that the cases of exploitation of consumers could be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The sub-committee met in Islamabad to discuss the problems faced by the people in connection with the automobile industry.