Neelum Jhelum Project To Be Operational On Feb 1 Next Year: PAC Told

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament was informed on Thursday that the Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project would become operational on Feb 1, 2018

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Aug, 2017 ) : The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament was informed on Thursday that the Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project would become operational on Feb 1, 2018.

WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (R) Muzammil Hussain told the body, which met here with Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah the chair, that the project on completeion would help collect $ 360 million revenue per annum, besides adding electricity to the national grid.

The meeting was attended by Syed Naveed Qamar, Sardar Ashiq Gopang, Ms. Shahida Akhtar, Shafqat Mahmood, Dr. Arif Alvi, Hadayatullah, Rasheed Godail, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Jafar Khan Leghari, Mushahid Hussein Syed and Azam Swati.

The PAC chairman observed that 15 years had passed but the Neelum Jhelum project was still incomplete with its cost escalated from Rs 84 billion to Rs 500 billion. The WAPDA chairman said the project was introduced in 2002 and many changes had been made since its inception.

The third revised PC-1 for an amount of Rs 40,432.1 million had been approved by ECNEC while the final PC-1 worth Rs 500 billion was under consideration, he said. He said the three or four inquiries regarding irregularities in the project were pending with the department.

Azam Swati said delay in the completion of project had caused heavy loss to the national exchequer. The common man was still paying for the project. Shafqat Mehmood said it was a good news for the country that the project would be completed in February 2018.

Meanwhile, officials of the Ministry of Water and Power said the Katchi Kanal project would be operational from the current month. The project was delayed as the previous contractor ran away and later other issues also emerged.

MNA Jafar Leghari claimed that 23 trollies of construction material were stolen from the site of Kachi Kanal project daily and FIRs of the incidents were registered at the police station concerned.

The contractor and other people constructed their houses with that material, he alleged. Syed Khursheed Shah said the people involved in the irregularities and corruption should be booked and construction companies should be blacklisted.

Briefing about corruption in the Nandipur power project, the WAPDA chairman said the abnormal delay in completion of the project caused Rs 43,371.05 million loss to the national exchequer. The issue was pending with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he added.

He said the Nandipur Power Project, which had been converted into gas, was operational now. The PAC directed the NAB to complete the final report on the Nandipur project corruption case within two months.

Briefing about recovery of Rs 15,740.72 million LD from IPPs and contractors, the official said the matter was pending with International Arbitration London. The committee noted a loss of Rs 8,366.97 million due to non-realization of the GST from consumers.

The WAPDA official said the matter had been referred to the Ministry of Law and Justice through CPPA and now it had been decided to send the matter to Economic Coordination Committee. The PAC observed loss of Rs 4,874.74 million was caused due to non-recovery of advances along with interest from independent power producers (IPPs).

It said the advance payment was made to M/s Japan Power Company Limited (JPCL) and Southern Electric Power Company Limited (SEPCOL) for the supply of electricity in 2006. The companies neither supplied the electricity as per agreement nor refunded the amount.

The WAPDA official informed the body that the then prime minister in 2006 had given illegal directives for the agreement. The matter was subjudice. The PAC sought all relevant record from WAPDA in the next meeting of committee.

Briefing about loss of Rs 3,135.38 million due to non-utilization of power plant during 2012-13, the ministry official said the three officials involved in the scam had been retired while one of them had died.

The official said in GENCO-II, an amount of Rs 2,087 million was given to suppliers as advance since February 2004. The money could not be recovered so far. The three references regarding the scam against the then prime minister, Secretary Water and Power and others were pending with a NAB court, he added. The PAC directed the ministry to pursue the case vigorously.