Top ten mega projects: PMIC unearths massive irregularities ISHFAQULLAH SHAWL

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD (July 26 2010): The Prime Minister's Inspection Commission (PMIC) has unearthed massive financial and management irregularities in top ten mega projects included in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and suggested remedies to bring positive change in these projects.

The Commission was assigned the task to look into the matters of the mega projects of the PSDP, but due to many hitches the Commission took into hand the inspection of top ten mega projects, said Malik Amjad Ali Noon, chairman of the Commission in an exclusive talk with Business Recorder on Sunday.

"All these projects are ill-conceived and huge management problems were found in these projects, which are costing billions of rupees loss to national exchequer," Noon said.

"We took sector-wise ten projects from PSDP and carried out inspection of these projects," he said, adding that multi-billion Mangla Upraising Project, Bhasha Dam Construction Project, Makran Coastal Highway, Rehabilitation of Irrigation System of Sindh, Revamping of Irrigation and Drainage System in Sindh, PM's Programme for Hepatitis Prevention, PM's Special Initiative for Housing for poor, Lowari Tunnel, Railways and N-5.

He said that he urged Prime Minister Gilani to allow the Commission to take in hand the inspection of public interest matters like poor quality of essential commodities at Utility Stores, wrong electricity and gas billing, mushroom growth of CNG stations, and mal-functioning of agricultural price commission.

"I believe that good governance matters and without this, the country cannot prosper and I suggested to the Prime Minister to make PMIC effective to attain the objectives of good governance," Malik said, adding that it is a fact that without a strong check and balance the country can not succeed in checking the drainage of resources through corruption.

The projects inspected during last two years, including Tawana Pakistan Programme (TPP), Margalla Towers, Sher Shah Bridge, Evacuee Property Trust, Hujj and Umra operators, Khaleefa Zayed Bin Sultan Hospital Quetta, Roads constructed in Sindh by NHA and C&W Sindh, Paddy Crisis in Sindh, PM's Village Product Specialisation Initiatives.

The PMIC chief added that it is unfortunate that under TPP, which was for nutrition of malnourished girls of remote and far-flung areas, a minister renovated his bathroom instead at a cost of Rs 4 million and purchased mineral water worth Rs 150,000.

Malik refused to give the details of the financial irregularities he found during inspection saying, "I have presented it to prime minister and if he makes it public, it is his prerogative and I hope action will be taken against people found guilty".

"We found malpractices, financial irregularities and political influence in these projects and I have presented the final report to Prime Minister with recommendations for improvement", he said.

Musharraf made the PMIC ineffective and constituted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and used it as an instrument against his political opponents and thereby strengthened himself politically. The politicisation of NAB has compromised the accountability system in the country and shattered the faith of the people in it, he added.

Malik said that Prime Minister Gilani assigned him the additional task of heading public and overseas grievances on October, 27, 2008, which is now receiving more than 4000 applications a month. Half of the applications received by PMIC related to financial assistance, while remaining are for provision of roads, drinking water, electricity and other facilities.

After processing all the applications are sent to relevant departments for action and PMIC follows up by demanding feedbacks from the concerned departments, he said.

"I have suggested that financial assistance for the medical treatment and for disabled should be approved expeditiously, but neither BISP nor Baitulmal are supporting the PMIC," Noon said.

The PMIC is working under the legal cover of martial law ordinance 58 of October 31, 1978 and it is under cover of article 270- a, of the Constitution, incorporated under 8th Amendment of Zia regime in 1985. It was first introduced by General Ayub Khan and under different names remains active till today.

The chairman of the PMIC is empowered to send any person to jail for 8 months and can raid any office at any time and seek explanation from any secretary of the government, but it is a toothless body as it can not take suo motu action.

He termed the PMIC as eyes and ears of the Prime Minister, saying that its mandate is to carry out inspections and inquiries of corruption, maladministration and malpractices of Ministries and government departments anywhere in the country, for which it can obtain support from provinces as well.