The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has approved Rs 7.79 billion budgetary proposals of Cabinet Division and Civil Aviation Division for forthcoming budget 2018-19. The committee met with Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan in the chair here at the Parliament House on Tuesday and discussed budgetary proposals of Cabinet Division and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), issues relating to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other matters.
According to documents available with Business Recorder, the committee approved Rs 6.49 billion budgetary proposals for 40 development projects including 20 new schemes with estimated cost of Rs 1.31 billion and 20 ongoing projects at cost of Rs 5.18 billion of CAA.
The new schemes are new ASF Camp at BKIA, Peshawar, at the cost of Rs 846.96 million, construction of triple-storey living accommodation for ASF personnel at Lahore airport at Rs 40 million, construction of double-storey barrack, provision of third storey at ASF camp Karachi, construction of single storey barrack, provision of second storey for 64 ASF personnel along with OC residence, ladies accommodation at Quarter guard at Dalbandin airport at cost of Rs 20 million, etc, while Rs 100 million have been proposed for ongoing new Gwadar international airport under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The committee discussed the performance of PIA and directed that the new management of PIA may take stringent measures to overcome the sustaining losses of the airline by improving its performance and come up with the proposals so that the committee can take them at appropriate forum for their amicable solution.
Answering a question, Federal Secretary Civil Aviation Division, Muhammad Irfan Elahi told the committee that new airport Islamabad would be opened for flights in April.
The committee expressed concern over non-professional attitude of Cabinet Division and Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) officials as they were unable to purchase the modern machinery for printing purposes to meet the requirement of the upcoming general elections despite the fact that advance payment was released to the quarters concerned. The committee directed that Cabinet Division may review the viability before purchasing such machinery after the upcoming general elections and proceed accordingly.
The meeting was attended by MNAs including Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Malik Ibrar Ahmad, Asad Umar, Perveen Masood Bhatti, Shehnaz Saleem, Chaudhry Khalid Javaid Warraich, Nighat Perveen, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, Farhana Qamar, and Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, secretaries of Establishment Division and CAA, and other senior officers of the concerned ministries/departments.