QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee has expressed concerns over the slow pace of work on development projects initiated years ago under the Quetta Development Package and warned the issue will be referred to NAB if the planning and development department does not submit its report on the issue.

The meeting held on Thursday discussed the progress on the package and observed that despite a passage of long time, projects initiated under the programme have not been completed.

The meeting was presided over by the committee’s chairman Asghar Ali Tareen. Other committee members and officials who attended the meeting were Zamarak Khan Achakzai, Sardar Abdul Rahman Khetran, Tahir Shah Kakar, Shuja Ali, Hafiz Abdul Basit, Siraj Lehri, Syed Ahmed, Syed Muhammad Idris and Rafiq Ahmed.

The members expressed serious concern over the change of firms in the middle of projects and asked authorities concerned to explain why the change has been made.

Committee chairman questions delays in project stalled for seven years

The PAC expressed anger over the absence of a representative from the finance department at the meeting.

The committee chairman announced he will move a privilege motion in the provincial assembly over the official’s absence.

The PAC reviewed the compliance of the audit report 2022-23 from planning and development department.

The chairman of the committee said that according to the audit report, a contract was signed with Nespak for Quetta Development Programme on June 15, 2017, for which Rs286.78 million had been paid to the company.

After discovering flaws in the design, the contract with the firm had been cancelled, he said, but the amount paid to the company has not been recovered so far, which constitutes a violation of the contract.

Now, seven years have passed on this project, but no progress has been made on this issue so far, the PAC chairman said.

He said the P&D department should conduct further investigations and present its report to PAC, otherwise the case will be referred to NAB.

The chairman of the committee appealed to the chief minister to take special interest in the completion of the projects initiated under the Quetta Development Package and order the finance department to release necessary funds so that the projects could be completed on time.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024