ISLAMABAD, July 30: The reforms introduced in the National Highway Authority (NHA) has started delivering positive results in the form of completion of projects well ahead of scheduled time.

A spokesman for the NHA said the completion of Kohat Tunnel, was completed four months in advance, construction of Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway (M-3) six months earlier than the contracted date, speedy completion of Lyari-Ormara section of the Makran Coastal Highway are all testimony of this achievement.

The spokesman has issued a statement refuting the news reports appeared in a section of the press about irregularities and corruption in awarding contracts of mega projects by the NHA.

The statement said said the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway Project (M-1) was awarded to a Turkish contractor on highly favourable terms, during early 1990s and it was only in the year 2001 that the Authority expelled the contractor because of “extremely wanting” performance.

The NHA is pursuing the case for recovery of outstanding dues from the said Turkish firm through court of law.

It said the contract for completion of balance works of M-1 has not been awarded on a single bid but on competitive basis.

The offer of the current contractor which is a joint venture (JV) of a number of most reputed local firms, was approximately Rs1 billion less than what was offered by the Frontier Works Organization in an open tender.

The spokesman also categorically confirmed that construction of River Indus Bridge on M-1 is part of the contract concluded with the JV and there is no question of award of any independent contractor for the bridge.

Referring to the Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway Project (M-3), the NHA spokesman remarked that this project was initially awarded on BOT basis through a concession agreement for a six- lane facility at a cost of Rs7.29 billion in January 1999.

However, it ran into snags soon after taking off because of difference on toll collection and other concessions. Thereafter, the project was reviewed and a fresh agreement concluded with the same contractor for construction of a four-lane motorway as a GoP facility at a cost of Rs4.50 billion including cost of work already done under the first contract plus credit of Rs1 billion to NHA for half the machinery (received by NHA from Daewoo and transferred to the contractor of M-3) and this was indeed no mean an achievement.

The fact of the matter is that all consents and concessions previously accorded to the contractor were withdrawn and 100 per cent toll and revenue generated from commercial use of right of way (RoW) of M-3 shall now be credited to NHA. Work on M-3 is now in full swing and it shall be completed in August.

Talking about the Lyari Expressway, the spokesman submitted that the project has been conceived not only to streamline the flow of traffic through the metropolitan areas of Karachi but also to streamline the flow of Lyari River through overcrowded areas by removal of encroachments, clearance of river bed and smooth flow of water through the river channel.

The use of reinforce earth technology is in keeping with the peculiar nature of the project and is based not on any single study but on a number of studies carried out by consultants/ experts of repute over a period of over two decades.

The projects of NHA valuing between Rs50-100 million are approved by executive board, which comprises five representatives of different government organizations, including finance, planning & development and communications.

Similarly all schemes/projects valuing over Rs100 million are approved by the CDWP/ Ecnec and circumvention/disregard of any rules or procedures or resort to any non-transparent measures in award of contracts does not arise, the spokesman further stated.

The statement said the NHA, like any other road construction organization, has to hire technical experts of repute for performance of its highly specialised functions. They are hired on competitive basis through advertisement and filtration based on merit and past performance, the spokesman said.

It is true that the services of some officials purely in accordance with the provision of the rules/law but it is equally true that the procedure for fresh induction/ recruitment has never been more transparent than what it is at present.

Apart from scores of mega, large and medium-sized ongoing projects, the NHA has to watch and maintain highways from Khanjerab to Karachi and from Taftan to Torkham and keep the traffic flowing smoothly day in, day out under any circumstances, the spokesman concluded.