The people of Karachi are facing serious water crisis while mega water supply project K-IV is being delayed continuously and its cost has escalated from Rs 25 billion to Rs 29 billion.
Sheikh Salahuddin of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said this while raising the issue of K-IV water supply project in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms which met with Abdul Majeed Khan Khanankhail in the chair at Parliament Lodges on Thursday.
He said that only 15 percent work has been done on K-IV water supply project and its cost has escalated to Rs 29 billion. He said if the project is continuously delayed, its cost would reach Rs 40 billion.
Sheikh Salahuddin said that his party members gave vote to Prime Minster Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the commitment that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government will alleviate the problems of the Karachi people by completing K-IV and other projects. He said that the Prime Minister is not paying any attention to the problem of water crisis in Karachi.
He said that K-IV water supply project would be completed through provision of 50 percent funds each by the Sindh and federal governments. He said that both the governments have provided funds, but the management of the project and responsibility for its completion are in the hands of the Sindh government. He said that he is not satisfied with the performance of Sindh government.
Later, the committee also discussed Special Federal Development Programme, non-implementation of gas schemes by SNGPL/OGRA and delay in construction of Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital, Peshawar.
The committee was also told that construction cost of Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital, Peshawar, has increased from Rs 2 billion to Rs 3.5 billion due to delay in the project.
Committee Chairman Abdul Majeed Khan Khanankhail said that the costs of the projects escalate due to delays. He said that the government should formulate comprehensive policy and procedure for completing the projects timely.
The committee was apprised that due to slow working of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Finance Department and Finance Division of the federal government, the construction of Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital has been delayed.
The committee was told that secretary health was also invited to attend the meeting and give his input in this regard but he did not attend the meeting. The committee showed its displeasure on the absence of secretary health and directed to serve a show cause notice on him.
The standing committee was told that due to slow working of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, several development schemes have been suspended. The committee directed that all such schemes should be completed with national zeal and on apolitical basis.
MNAs Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Syed Muhammad Athar Hussain Shah Gillani, Shaheen Shafiq, Shazia Sohail Mir, Shamas-un-Nisa, Dr Nafisa Shah, Junaid Akbar, Sheikh Salahuddin, Sher Akber Khan and Iftikhar-ud-Din, and Secretary Petroleum and Senior Executive Director (Corporate and Media Affairs) of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Imran Ghaznavi attended the meeting.