Cracking up: WAPDA contractor, engineers face criminal cases

FIA detects irregularities in WAPDA staff colony in Chitral

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to register criminal cases against a contractor and engineers of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on charges of irregularities in the construction of a Wapda colony at the Golen Gol hydropower project in Chitral.

A senior FIA official told the Senate standing committee on water and power on Monday that the agency has completed its inquiry into the alleged irregularities by the contractor and the engineers of Wapda in the hydropower project. And now an investigation is to be launched after registering criminal cases against those deemed responsible.

The report has been submitted to the FIA director general, who will formally give permission to register criminal cases against them and start investigation to frame charges against them.

According to a report submitted by the FIA in the Senate standing committee, construction of civil works of operation and maintenance staff colony at Koghuzi was started in 2009 and substantially completed in 2011, to accommodate Wapda and consultant supervisory staff during the construction and operation and maintenance stages.

The boundary wall, roads, water supply, sewerage, primary school, mosque, dispensary, guard room, hospitals and shops were constructed. The entire colony was designed by the Central Design office (CDO), Lahore and all construction works were executed through local contractors and supervised by Wapda engineers.

On completion of the project, cracks developed in some buildings. Prior to issuance of the Substantial Completion Certificate and the release of the final payment to the contractors, a detailed investigation was carried out indicating that the cracks were of non-structural nature. Remedial measures were recommended. The project authorities directed the contractor to carry out necessary rectifications yet this has not been done.

In 2012, FIA Peshawar was informed about the irregularities, and an inquiry was started. FIA Peshawar directed the project office to stop more payments to the contractor till the inquiry was finalised.

In August, the FIA team along with technical experts from UET Peshawar visited the Wapda staff colony in Chitral and demanded test results of material used in the colony, which were provided.

Sources said that after a preliminary inquiry, the FIA team found out that sub-standard materials were used in the construction.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2015.