Delay in projects: Senate panel unhappy with PWD

Committee was told that Rs378m were allocated for 75 ongoing developmental projects in year 2013-14.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Committee on Housing and Works on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the speed of developmental schemes of Public Works Department (PWD) and directed the ministry to take action against officers involved in delaying the schemes.

The committee which met under the chairmanship of Shahi Syed was told by ministry and PWD officials that Rs378m had been allocated for 75 ongoing developmental projects in year 2013-14 and that although the whole amount had been released, only Rs88m was utilised.

Talking about liabilities in Peoples Works Programme (PWP-II), PWD MD Hassan Haqqani said about Rs552.5m was payable to the 131 contractors in 194 schemes for which the amount would be paid after fulfilling PPRA rules in accordance with the directives of the apex court. He said that an embezzlement of Rs1,300m had been identified during the verification of 277 developmental schemes.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2014.