Additional posts to overcome staff shortage: Finance Division asked to approve NH&MP request

Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Monday directed the Finance Division to give approval to the request of National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) for additional strength so that it can overcome staff shortage with expanding network.
The committee meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Senator Daud Khan Achakzai and attended among others by Senators Zahid Khan, Mir Wali Badini, Hasil Bazenjo, Nisar Muhammad, and Mukhtiar Ahmed Damrah.
Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan also attended the meeting. During the briefing the committee was informed that mandate and objectives of the National Highways And Motorway Police (NH&MP) are to control traffic violations on motorways and national highways, to brief and educate the road users on motorways and highways. Its mandate also included launching road safety campaigns to inculcate awareness amongst the motorists and ensure safety and provide assistance to road users.
Inspector General NH&MP Zafar Abbas Lak informed the committee that presently the enforcement area of the Motorway Police was about 2681 kilometres. He said that total sanctioned strength of the NH&MP staff was 5681 persons but presently there were 5244 persons employed there as 437 posts are vacant.
He said that the management of the NH&MP has requested for 8460 additional personnel as with the passage of time network to National Highways has expanded. Secretary Communications Anwar Ahmed Khan said that highway patrolling is directly linked with free transportation of merchandise with in turn results in betterment of the economy and there was need to attach top priority to this sector.
On the issue of toll and fine collection, Communication Minister said that his ministry did international bidding for auction of toll plazas but it was not allowed to complete the process as FWO did not allow it to do so. Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Muhammad Ali Gardezi informed the committee that 110 km Expressway-35 has been planned over a new alignment which will start from Burhan Interchange of M-1 and end at Mansehra bypassing eastern side of Abbotabad.
Implementation of the project has been planned in two phases including Hasanabdal-Havelian section and Havelian-Mansehra section. Senator Zahid Khan said that no new project has been planned in Khyber Pakhtoonkha province in the current fiscal year. He also said that now rules of business have been changed and the concerned departments will have two months time for implementation of House committee decisions, otherwise it will be free to take action.
About Malakand Tunnel, the committee was informed that PC-I for Phase-I of Malakand tunnel including design, construction and supervision of Rs 9,043.325 million approved by ECNEC on May 26,2011.The committee was informed that Exim Bank of Korea shown interest in the project and the pre-qualification of the firms for the purpose is under process.
The committee was informed that the NHA has stated that construction of Malakand tunnel before completion of Lowari tunnel project would not be of much benefit. The committee members said that it was unfortunate that NHA officials asked Koreans to provide loan for Lowari tunnel, instead of Malakand tunnel. Senator Nisar Muhamamd said that Lowari has its own importance but Malakand tunnel would benefit four districts of KPK province and the NHA should not underestimate its importance.