President urged to clear impasse on Jaglot-Skardu Road project
PPP Skardu leader claims project being deliberately stalled.
ISLAMABAD:
A senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader from Skardu has appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari to resume work on the Jaglot-Skardu Road, the only land route between Gilgit and Kargil. The PPP leader, Imran Nadeem Shigri, alleges a few members of the ministry of communications are deliberately stalling the project due to their “vested interests and prejudices”.
According to official sources, the Jaglot-Skardu Road project was recently cancelled by the ministry of communications on grounds that the contracting company, China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC), does not fulfil the criteria for the project.
Shigri said a memorandum of understanding for the project was signed between the National Highways Authority (NHA) and CGGC on July 2010 during President Zardari’s visit to China. He said to ensure transparency, the NHA invited an Expression of Interest for the construction and funding of the project, under which prospective contractors were to arrange 85 per cent of the funds for the project. He said CGGC was the only company that made an offer for the project and offered to fund 94 per cent of the project cost through a soft loan.
Shigri said that after due consideration a contract was signed with CGGC for the project and the contract was referred to the Ministry of Communications to obtain approval from the Planning Division. He said a reference was also made to the Economic Affairs Division to apply for required funding for the project from the Exim Bank of China.
“However, after spending two years paying visits to the site and holding negotiations with CGGC to settle the final cost of the project, the ministry of communications is now inviting new EOIs for the Jaglot-Skardu Road project,” said Shigri. The PPP leader said that following the Giary tragedy, armed forces faced great difficulties in transporting heavy machinery and equipment due to the dilapidated condition of the road. The project is part of a development package announced by the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.
A senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader from Skardu has appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari to resume work on the Jaglot-Skardu Road, the only land route between Gilgit and Kargil. The PPP leader, Imran Nadeem Shigri, alleges a few members of the ministry of communications are deliberately stalling the project due to their “vested interests and prejudices”.
According to official sources, the Jaglot-Skardu Road project was recently cancelled by the ministry of communications on grounds that the contracting company, China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC), does not fulfil the criteria for the project.
Shigri said a memorandum of understanding for the project was signed between the National Highways Authority (NHA) and CGGC on July 2010 during President Zardari’s visit to China. He said to ensure transparency, the NHA invited an Expression of Interest for the construction and funding of the project, under which prospective contractors were to arrange 85 per cent of the funds for the project. He said CGGC was the only company that made an offer for the project and offered to fund 94 per cent of the project cost through a soft loan.
Shigri said that after due consideration a contract was signed with CGGC for the project and the contract was referred to the Ministry of Communications to obtain approval from the Planning Division. He said a reference was also made to the Economic Affairs Division to apply for required funding for the project from the Exim Bank of China.
“However, after spending two years paying visits to the site and holding negotiations with CGGC to settle the final cost of the project, the ministry of communications is now inviting new EOIs for the Jaglot-Skardu Road project,” said Shigri. The PPP leader said that following the Giary tragedy, armed forces faced great difficulties in transporting heavy machinery and equipment due to the dilapidated condition of the road. The project is part of a development package announced by the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.