Power project: Rs320m donated by Saudi prince

Senate panel sought report on the donation to electrify villages in Dalbandin and Chaghai.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has sought a detailed report from the Finance and Economic Affairs Division that revealed that over Rs320 million funds for a ‘power project’ in Balochistan was donated by a Saudi prince back in 2008.

The Senate committee met here on Tuesday and reviewed the progress of all power projects in Balochistan under Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP).

The Committee Convener Senator Fateh Muhammad Muhammad Hassani said that in 2008, Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd bin Sultan, had announced donation of a sum of Rs320 million for electrification of villages in Dalbandin and Chaghai.  However, the funds were never received by Project Director of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) in Balochistan.

“Provide us the details about the amount donated after consulting the foreign office and the Saudi ambassador as to whether this amount had ever been received; and if so, why was it not handed over to the department concerned,” Senator Hassani queried.



The committee directed Wapda to complete PC-4 of all the PSDP projects in Balochistan, saying that cost and time frame of these projects have surpassed limits.

The committee also criticized Wapda and the Planning Commission for not preparing PC-4 for Mirani Dam. It directed to complete PC-4 of all power related projects within two weeks.

Wapda Chairman Syed Raghib Hussain informed the committee that the reason for delay was that the funds were not being released by the government.

He said that Wapda required Rs18 billion for executing PSDP projects in Balochistan but only Rs6 billion have been released so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2013.