The NWFP Assembly on Monday passed Hydel Development Fund and Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bills to promote investment in hydel power generation sector and prevent the use of fake registration and illegal special personal number plates in the province.
The NWFP Hydel Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2006 was tabled in the house with Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan in the chair, by Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Power Hafiz Akhtar Ali, while Minister for Excise and Taxation Fazal Rabbani Advocate presented the Provincial Motor Vehicles (NWFP) (Amendment) Bill, 2006.
The purpose of the Hydel Development Fund (Amendment) Bill was to enable the provincial government to take measures for promotion of investment in hydropower generation projects in the province and help remove the hurdles in the completion of the ongoing projects.
The amendment would enable the provincial government to constitute an Investment Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to make recommendations to the board for making investment out of the fund.
The chief minister or his nominee, not below the status of provincial minister, would head the board. The board members include minister for finance, minister for irrigation, chief secretary, additional chief secretary, managing director, Bank of Khyber, one provincial chief of any leading public sector bank, secretary finance, managing director, Sarhad Development Authority (SDA), secretary irrigation and power.
The passage of Provincial Motor Vehicles (NWFP) (Amendment) Bill, 2006 would enable the provincial government in streamlining the practice to check the fake motor vehicle registration and illegal use of special personal number plates in the province. The use of special personal number plates had registered increased due to lacunae in the law.
In light of the amendment, owners of the vehicle misusing registration mark would be liable to a fine of Rs 10,000/- while Rs 25,000/- in violation of the misuse of personalised number plate.
"The amendment bill would go long way in the elimination of corrupt practices in provincial department of E&T," Rabbani said while responding to the objections raised by the opposition members in the house.
Senior parliamentarian Abdul Akbar Khan through a privilege motion diverted the attention of the house towards the inauguration and installation of the name plates of others people on the projects initiated on the MPAs development fund.
He requested the chair that a special committee comprising treasury and opposition members should be constituted to visit his constituency and observe the situation themselves.
Abdul Majid Khan of MMA and Dr Mohammad Saleem also supported the contentions of Abdul Akbar Khan. Responding to the privilege motion, Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Malik Zafar Azam said the inauguration and installation of the name plates on the projects initiated on the expenses of his fund under the annual development programme was the right of MPA concerned.
He agreed with the suggestion to send a delegation to observe the matter. Meanwhile, the speaker expressed displeasure over delay in the presentation of answers regarding questions of the department of Planning and Development. Provincial Minister Malik Zafar Azam assured the chair that replies would be presented tomorrow in the house. Later, Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan adjourned the proceedings of the house till Tuesday morning.
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