ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Friday directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to bring down noticeboards that elected representatives considered derogatory.

When the committee meeting under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah commenced, Senator Mola Bux Chandio raised the issue of toll plaza contractors.

“There are billboards at toll plazas the wordings of which are actually an insult to parliamentarians,” Senator Chandio said.

“We see billboards that read, ‘honourable member National Assembly, senators and provincial assemblies are not tax exempted’. This is derogatory as if the NHA is trying to tell the public that parliamentarians do not pay their due charges at toll plazas.”

After heated discussions, the committee directed the NHA to remove all such billboards immediately.

As the committee discussed the issue of axle-load restrictions on highways, Senator Ahmed Khan said there was a need to revisit the standard.

“The American standard currently applicable in the country has flaws because the trucking industry has limited business here,” he said.

Addressing Secretary Communications Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui and NHA Chairman Jawwad Malik, he said: “Tell me why despite all efforts you have failed to implement the axle load in Pakistan.”

The senator added: “Because there are no economic zones and the trucks only bring goods from certain areas while the return journey is almost empty. Therefore, they go for heavy load to cover up the loss or return journey.”

The committee also expressed concerns over slow pace of ongoing development projects and the officials responded that the fourth quarter current fiscal year had started but only Rs33 million had been released so far.

The NHA chairman said major impediment in NHA’s work was the disbursement of finances which was in the form of loans and currently NHA was defaulting Rs250 million to the finance ministry.

“There are only two sources of revenues for NHA: toll tax and commercial activities on some roads,” said the NHA chairman.

“If we have to execute road development on profitability we will build only commercially viable roads,” he added.

The committee members said the delay in fund disbursement would only lead to higher cost of the project due to the escalation factor.

“There is a serious side effect of delays in road and highway projects as it will have financial impact on labour markets including skilled workers,’ Senator Khan added.

The committee discussed Shabozai to Taunsa Road project and inquired reasons for delay despite 60 per cent funding from the federal government and 40pc contributed by the Balochistan government.

Senator Usman Khan Kakar said those involved in federal and provincial governments should be summoned to the committee meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2019