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ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs has demanded full details of delays, expenses and the current status of the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project as lawmakers questioned funding decisions, project transfers and years of administrative lapses.
The committee met on Wednesday with Senator Saifullah Abro as chairman. Officials from the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) briefed members on funds earmarked for Multan’s heritage restoration, stating that Rs8,276 million had been earmarked, with Rs850 million released in 2011.
Questioning how a federal project had been transferred to the province, Senator Rubina Khalid asked if the committee’s terms of reference allowed such a decision without the approval of the federal cabinet.
EAD officials responded that a management committee had ordered the transfer, prompting Senator Kamran Murtaza to ask who had authorized the body to take decisions of that magnitude. Senator Abro sought details of sites selected in 2011 and demanded the feasibility report.
The project director said they had an implementation report for the second phase worth Rs 251 million. Senator Abro insisted that he was demanding the feasibility of the Rs850 million allocation, not later documents focused on subsequent phases.
Officials told the committee that a consultancy contract worth Rs 111 million had been awarded for the restoration project. The consultancy was awarded to a company, and lawmakers questioned whether the work had been awarded on a percentage basis.
EAD officials added that there were differences between the original and revised PC-I documents. They confirmed that heritage restoration funds had been diverted, with half being used for a fire center and the rest spent on another Multan project, raising further concerns.
