ISLAMABAD: As the absence of the ministers from committee meetings has become a norm, a parliamentary panel on Monday directed Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mehmood to ensure his presence in the next meeting or be ready to face the music.
The Senate standing committee on communications which met here with Senator Umer Ahmedzai in the chair strongly reacted to the absence of the minister who skipped the meeting without prior intimation.
The chairman of the committee said that public representation is incomplete without the presence of the minister, adding the minister concerned should ensure his presence in the committee as he is supposed to know what the standing committee discussed.
Senator Danesh Kumar of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) staged a walkout from the meeting in protest against the continued absence of the minister from the meeting, saying the way ministers are taking the committee meetings is not acceptable.
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However, he returned to the committee meeting after the chairman assured him that he would ensure the presence of the minister next time at all costs.
The committee discussed irregularities in the award of contracts under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) raised by Senator Saifullah Abro.
The committee was informed that Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway project is at a pre-mature stage, as FWO, ZKB -SMC- SMADB, and TECHNO-MATRACON have submitted their bids, out of which, TECHNO-MATRACON is at first ranking in terms of financial proposal.
Briefing on the contracts of toll tax stations under the National Highways Authority (NHA) was missing. The committee observed that the delay in the briefing seems to be a delaying tactic to hide the facts of the subject matter. The committee recommended to submit the briefing at the earliest and not to accept any further delay.
The committee was also given a briefing on the tragic road accident that occurred in Bela od district Lasbela which claimed 41 lives.
The deputy inspector general (DIG) operations NHMP briefed the committee that the National Highways and Motorway Police is not deployed at the said location, adding the accident occurred 21km away from the operational area of NHMP, however, the NHMP carried out a rescue operation on the site.
He said that 99 percent of accidents are caused due to over speeding, intoxication, vehicle fitness and overloading.
He said vehicle fitness is not the mandate of the NHMP, however, 855 vehicles were given challan last year, adding that 380km area is non-operational highly contributing to accidents. Senator Kamil Ali Agha regretted that one of the reasons for the accidents is smuggled petrol from these areas which is transported through overloaded trucks and there is no check and balance and the accidents caused by it are devastating.
The committee urged the ministry as well as the NHMP to play its role in collaboration and efficiently in order to curb road accidents destroying thousands of families.
It was also recommended to make the challan criteria stricter over second hand driver and disallow drivers under influence of drugs to drive.
The chairman committee also sought the list of accidents on every beat of the area of Lesbela.
The secretary of Communications Ministry assured the committee that he would personally speak to chief secretary Balochistan to take concrete measures to control accidents in the area.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023