The meeting was chaired by Metro Bus Project Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Nearly two dozen truck drivers involved in transporting construction material for the mega metro bus project in Islamabad failed to prove their identity during a security check carried out by the city administration in the wake of terror attack at the Karachi Airport.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil revealed this during a meeting held to review progress on the project. The meeting was chaired by Metro Bus Project Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi.
Sherdil informed the participants of the meeting that as many as 55 truck drivers were checked out of which 22 did not have any document on them.
Following the revelation, the committee decided to run a security check on all the field employees including labourers and truck drivers involved in on-site execution of the project on five different construction packages of the project in Islamabad.
The five firms executing the project have been directed to submit with the Islamabad Police and administration the necessary identity documents of all their employees.
The committee was also informed that due to the security concerns a ban had been imposed on entry of trucks carrying construction material and engaged on package 5 of the project, which is near Pak Secretariat.
During the meeting, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed directed the firms to provide the administration with relevant record of employees at the earliest. “We won’t tolerate any step that could lead to some untoward incident,” Saeed said.
Progress and related issues
The committee discussed the issue related to lack of coordination between government departments and delays in project execution thereof.
The committee was informed that work had been adversely affected at some construction sites in Rawalpindi due to delay in shifting of utilities passing through the project site.
Deploring the situation, Hanif Abbasi observed that only one officer of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) was coordinating with other departments over several issues. He directed the RDA to deploy a coordinator for each contract package in Rawalpindi.
The committee was also informed that issue of shifting of a private graveyard near a sector is yet to be resolved.
Abbasi said details of all the government officials who would delay execution of project and could not resolve issues on their department’s behalf would be conveyed to chief minister Punjab for appropriate action.
The committee formed a sub-committee headed by MNA Tariq Fazl Chaudhry to resolve issues related to shifting of the graveyard, H-9 weekly bazaar, and utilities in Islamabad within 15 days.
Abbasi also criticized the performance of Nespak, the consultant of the metro bus project, asking them to expedite.
The Rawalpindi CPO said the National Logistic Cell, which is executing the costliest construction package in Rawalpindi, was not collaborating with wardens resulting in traffic related issues on the Murree Road.
Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the CDA said that Hanif Abbasi directed the contractor firms to meet deadlines and no excuse would be tolerated for delay in work.
Abbasi stressed that in next meeting the contractor firms should show their progress giving September 30 as the end-date of the project.
The meeting was held at the Jinnah Convention Centre which was also attended by Member National Assembly (MNA) Tariq Fazl Chaudhry, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) members of the administration, environment and planning wings, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi City Police Officer, Rawalpindi District Coordination Officer, and officials of other relevant departments.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2014.
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