The Punjab government has replaced the operative part of the fuel treatment plant for the Nandipur power project in 2014, say power sector experts. They have rejected Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Mohammad Asif's earlier claim that the fuel treatment plant was purchased by the previous government. "The machinery of the Nandipur power project can never be operational to its full capacity of producing 425 megawatts because of technical faults," he added.
The minister had also claimed that heavy faults were occurred soon after the premier opened the project on May 31, 2014, which was led by procurement of the operative part by the Punjab government. The experts claimed the government of former premier Shaukat Aziz had approved the engineering, procurement and commissioning contract.
The machinery arrived at the Karachi Port in 2010 during the government of the People's Party when former law minister Babar Awan created hurdles in transportation of the machinery to Nandipur in the Punjab. The experts said it was Muhammad Mehmood who had brought it to Nandipur after the ruling party came into power in 2013 and that the government had bestowed on him Sitara-e-Imtiaz for this service.
"The machinery was never checked by engineers before its installation and the faults were detected when the premier had inaugurated it with a big pump and show," the experts said. They went on to say the power project was under the supervision of the GENCO Holding Company of the federal government, but the Punjab government had taken over it on political considerations.
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