Politically motivated?: Pet road projects as premier’s swansong

Increase of Rs3.5 billion sought for roads leading to Ashraf’s hometown.

ISLAMABAD:

Despite a ban imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the diversion of funds to various development schemes, the government is making moves to approve two projects at revised costs, which had earlier been included in the national development plan by bending the rules.

The government will have to rush to address the outstanding issues in the execution of two road schemes, said sources in the Planning Commission. While referring to the development project, which has been approved by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, sources revealed that irregularities could delay the projects once the prime minister leaves office.

Under the schemes, the road between Mandra and Chakwal Road (64-kilometre patch) and Sohawa to Chakwal Road (70km) will be made into a dual-carriageway. Sources added that the projects were a result of the addition of Gujar Khan, the premier’s hometown, in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2012-13 after he assumed office in 2012.

The government had awarded both contracts to the National Logistic Cell (NLC), by showing less than the actual cost in the original PC-I. Therefore, the projects will now require re-approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) with revised costs, sources said.

Against initial cost of Rs2.7 billion for the Mandra-Chakwal road, the NLC is now demanding Rs4.5 billion – an increase of 68.2%. Similarly, the revised cost for the Sohawa-Chakwal road has now reached Rs4.9 billion against initial estimates of Rs3.3 billion.



The magnitude of increase in project costs, approximately Rs.3.5 billion, in just two schemes demonstrates lack of planning in politically motivated projects being undertaken by the government. If the two projects with revised costs are approved, the government will have to divert funding from existing projects to meet the additional Rs3.5 billion requirement. This will result in a direct violation of the existing ECP ban on diversion of funds. Earlier, similar diversion of Rs15 billion from ongoing projects towards the PM’s discretionary fund had compelled the ECP to impose the ban.

One of the first orders issued by newly appointed Secretary Planning and Development Hasan Nawaz Tarar has been to try and call a meeting of the CDWP to approve the two stalled schemes at revised costs.

Sources reveal that Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr Nadeem ul Haque has refused to chair the meeting in light of the ECP ban on new schemes. They say that immense pressure is being exerted by the PM’s office in this regard and Planning Commission officials are looking at possibilities of holding the CDWP meeting without Haque.

When contacted, spokesperson for the Planning Commission Rizwan Malik confirmed that a meeting of CDWP was under consideration. He added that a decision was pending subject to further clarity from concerned authorities, assuring that ECP directives would be honoured.

Despite the serious concerns and objections surrounding the two schemes, the Planning Commission has already released Rs2.45 billion in funding and initial work on the roads has been initiated by NLC.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2013.