ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday emphasized that further delays in construction of and escalation in parliament lodges project cost would entail strict action.

Prolonged delay in the completion of project has not only resulted into cost escalation but also caused severe inconvenience to parliamentarians, says a press release issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.

It said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has assured the speaker that the first phase of the Parliament Lodges expansion project will be completed within the current financial year while the second phase will be completed by the next financial year.

The press release said that speaker has taken a series of initiatives to ensure the swift completion of the stalled parliamentary lodges expansion project.

Upon assuming his role as Speaker National Assembly, he ordered timely completion of this long-pending project, the press release said. It said that Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq alongside Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah held several meetings with relevant stakeholders to expedite the project.

The speaker has been vigilant in monitoring the project, taking strict notice of escalation of Project cost and has directed the authorities concerned to complete the project as soon as possible and ensure the best use of public money and minimise expenditures.

The press release said that due to proactive measures taken by speaker Sadiq, required funds for the timely construction of this project have been secured. He has also instructed to initiate legal action against departments and agencies responsible for unnecessary delays.

The project slowed down for want of funds. However, effective austerity measures by the Speaker National Assembly ensured the availability of required funds, breathing new life into a project that had been stalled for many years.

Separately, Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah visited various blocks of the parliament lodges. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif was also present on the occasion. Deputy speaker got briefing on parking and security issues and also issued several directives.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024