The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning and Development on Monday unearthed massive irregularities in four major development projects.
Members from the ruling coalition and opposition grilled officials of different government departments for non-maintenance of proper record and inordinate delay in execution of projects.
Held under the chairmanship of MNA Sardar Bahadur Khan, the meeting took strong exception to irregularities and it directed for detailed reports on Thal Canal project, Drought Emergency Relief Assistance (DERA) programme, IJ Principal Road and the construction of bridge on Islamabad Highway.
The meeting expressed shock over non-production of a proper record regarding utilisation of $200 million in connection with DERA programme.
Officials from the planning division failed to produce record. They were asked to submit documentation as to how this huge amount was spent.
Sources told Business Recorder that the programme was envisaged in 1998 to provide relief to the people affected by massive drought in various parts of the country.
The meeting was informed that $160 million was spent on building rural areas infrastructure, while $200 million spent on distribution of imported goods. However, there was no proper record in this connection.
On their request, officials of the planning and development were given time to produce record in this connection during the next committee meeting on August 19.
"The lawmakers wanted to know what exactly was the impact of the implementation of the programme, particularly utilisation of $200 million vis-à-vis fighting poverty," sources pointed out.
Though, according to an official handout, the planning and development informed the meeting that $200 million was spent on import of goods for drought victims, but he failed to produce documents thereof.
In case of lapses in DERA, sources said, the matter would be referred to the auditor general. It was decided that district Nazims would submit reports on consumption of funds under DERA programme.
The lawmakers criticised authorities for delay and increased cost on Thal Canal. Punjab Irrigation secretary said that the project would be completed by June next year.
It is pertinent to mention that the PC-1 of 1995 envisaged Rs 1,095 million while the revised PC-1 of 2001 showed the cost of project shot up to Rs 2,480 million, chairman Sardar Bahadur Khan said while talking to Business Recorder after the meeting.
The committee noted with concern that Rs 260 million had been incurred on the IJ Principal Road from Faizabad to Peshawar Road in Islamabad, but not even half of it was completed, resulting in wastage of millions of rupees and causing inconvenience to the public.
The committee chairman said he called for audit of the expenditure incurred on the road by the Capital Development Authority.
He deplored the fact that despite the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had directed for removal of encroachments prior to the construction of road, work was started without elimination of encroachments.
The meeting, he said, questioned flouting of the CDWP instructions by contractors in this connection. The CDA was asked to compensate the victims.
A sub-committee, comprising MNAs Zulfiqar Dhillon, Merheen Raja, Syed Javed Ali Shah and Mohammad Hussain Mehanti was formed to look into delay and increase in expenditure on construction of Islamabad Highway from Gumrah Bridge to Rawat.
Those present on the occasion included Rahman Naseer, Bilal Ejaz, Shehzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, Amjad Ali, Qari Gul Rehman, Razia Aziz, Hizbullah Bugio and Rukhsana Bangash.
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