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ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs demanded full details on the delays, expenditure and current status of the Sindh Dam Upgrading Project, as lawmakers questioned funding decisions, project transfers and years-long administrative lapses.
The committee met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro. Officials of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) briefed the members about the funds allocated for the restoration of Multan heritage, stating that Rs 8,276 million had been allocated, of which Rs 850 million was released in 2011.
Senator Rubina Khalid questioned how a federal project had been transferred to the province and 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 make decisions of that scale. Senator Abro requested details on the sites selected in 2011 and demanded the feasibility report.
The project director said that they had an implementation report for the second phase worth Rs 251 million. Senator Abro insisted that he demanded the feasibility of the Rs 850 million allocation, not subsequent documents focusing 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 assigned 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 funds had been diverted for heritage restoration, with half used for a burn center and the rest spent on another project in Multan, raising further concerns.
