Official removed over delays in water project

Zafar Abbas faced criticism for negligence in acquiring land, payment processing

RAWALPINDI:

The Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) of Rawalpindi city has been shown the door after the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) expressed dissatisfaction over his 'negligence' and 'delaying tactics' in implementing the Chahan Dam water supply project and releasing payments worth millions of rupees to the owners of 157 kanals of land acquired for the project.

LAC and Tehsildar Zafar Abbas, who was earlier a show-cause notice, has been transferred to the Board of Revenue (BoR). Under the project, 17 million gallons of water had to be supplied from the Chahan Dam to the citizens of Rawalpindi per day.

The DC, Hassan Waqar Cheema also sent a recommendation to the BoR for the appointment of a new LAC.

A letter sent by the DC to the BoR through the Rawalpindi Commissioner states that LAC Zafar Abbas was assigned the process of land acquisition for the most important project. Several instructions were issued orally and in writing to complete the process without delay, but due to no progress on his part, Abbas was issued a formal show-cause notice for neglect of official duty and misconduct. But he didn't even answer.

The official correspondence states the action reflects Abbas' unprofessional behaviour and non-seriousness in the discharge of official duties. Hence his services are surrendered and an appropriate officer should be appointed to complete the land acquisition for the project.

To lay the water treatment plant, pumping station and networking pipelines of the said project, which was awarded to Chinese company CSCIC, the owners of 157 kanals of land acquired in five places including Sheikhpur, Girja and Renal Morgah etc were to be paid around Rs980m.

A water treatment plant, pumping station and water distribution net for 12 million gallons of water per day are to be installed on the said land in the first phase.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is in the process of awarding the contract in a phased manner for acquiring additional water and upgrading the existing water supply network filtration plants.

In the first phase, two contracts worth Rs13.559b have been awarded to a Chinese and a Pakistani company. The process of awarding two contracts worth Rs20.3b in the second phase is still in process.

A contract worth Rs6.36b has been awarded to China Construction Third Engineering Group PVT for the Chahan Dam water treatment plant for 12 million gallons per day water supply project in the first phase, while Rawal Dam Khanpur Dam filtration plant and pumping machinery upgradation worth Rs7.199b has been awarded to BDL 5H Ansat Jawant Venture of MS Metra Khan to ensure round-the-clock water availability to Khayaban Sir Syed areas by rehabilitating the old water line. The awardees of both the above contracts will have to complete work within a period of three years. However, the contract for the installation of the line from Chahan Dam to Chak Jalal Din under Lot 2 is Rs8.2b and the contract for laying the distribution network for the supply of water from Chahan Dam in Lot 3 is yet to be awarded at a cost of Rs12.1b.

With the completion of these four contracts, the six union councils adjacent to Adiala Road and Khayaban Sir Syed area of Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi city will see extraordinary improvement in the water supply system.

Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashra confirmed the approval of the WB loan and said these projects would solve the water problem in 46 union councils of Rawalpindi city and six union councils adjacent to Adiala Road.