Latest news with #DreamProject
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Chahan Dam contracts' issue remains unresolved
The controversy over awarding Lot Two and Lot Three contracts from Chahan Dam to Rawalpindi under the Dream Project could not be resolved. Project Director Hamza Salik was removed from his post and additional Secretary Finance Omar Javed was appointed as the new Project Director. The cancellation of the contract for the supply of 12 million gallons of additional water per day upon completion of the Lot Two and Lot Three contract at a cost of Rs20.4 billion funded by the Asian Development Bank was suspended by the High Court. The court also issued instructions to resolve the matter within two weeks. Rawalpindi will be able to get 17 million gallons of additional water per day upon completion of the project from Lot One to Lot Four. The contract for Lot One of the projects was awarded to China Construction Third Engineering at a cost of Rs6.36 billion, while the contract for Lot Four was awarded to MS Metracon BDL and Turkish company Five H Insat at a cost of Rs7.19 billion. Work on both contracts is ongoing. With the completion of these projects, Rawalpindi will get 5 million gallons of additional water per day from Khanpur Dam and Rawal Dam. In addition, the joint venture company of the project had objected to the award of the contract for Lot Two and Lot Three to Turkish company Five H Insat at a cost of Rs20.40 billion. The project director had cancelled the contract on the recommendation of the Steering Committee for Dream Project after the fact-finding of the Chief Minister Inspection Team on the objection of the joint venture company of the project. When the company challenged the decision in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court, Justice Jawad Hassan suspended the decision of the project director and WASA MD and directed them to resolve the matter by mutual agreement with the Turkish company within two weeks. However, after the meeting of the steering committee of the Dream Project, the project director of the Dream Project, Hamza Salik, was removed from his post and Additional Secretary Finance Omar Javed has been appointed as the new project director of the Dream Project. Now, in the light of the court's decision, the steering committee of the Dream Project will decide to award the contracts of Lot two and Lot three. If the matter of awarding the contracts of Lot two and Lot three drags on, the completion of the loan-funded project of the Asian Development Bank may be delayed.
India Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Row in Kerala after Opposition leader not invited to Vizhinjam port inauguration
A fresh political row broke out in Kerala over the exclusion of Opposition Leader VD Satheesan from the commissioning ceremony of the Vizhinjam International Transhipment Port, set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May Opposition leader also rejected the government's claim that the event was part of the state government's fourth anniversary celebrations, and therefore, opposition leaders were not invited due to their declared boycott. 'Is this the fourth year anniversary? Then is the Prime Minister coming to celebrate the LDF government's anniversary? Are CPI(M) and BJP celebrating together now?' Satheesan asked pointedly. 'Let the BJP leadership clarify that.'advertisementHe alleged that the decision to exclude him was deliberate. 'They were afraid I would speak some uncomfortable truths about the port's history. I have no personal complaints, it's their decision. The public is watching,' he said. Ports Minister VN Vasavan defended the government, stating on Tuesday that Satheesan was indeed invited on official letterhead. But the explanation has done little to contain the political on Wednesday said he received an official invitation only after public criticism erupted over his omission. 'I was invited only after the controversy broke out,' he said, referring to a letter sent by Ports Minister VN however, questioned the nature of the invitation, saying it lacked clarity. 'The letter did not state why I was being invited or whether I am a participant or just an attendee. There wasn't even a programme notice along with it,' he Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran sharpened the attack, accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of political manoeuvring. 'The Chief Minister embarrassed himself by trying to keep the opposition leader away from the inauguration of the Dream Project,' Sudhakaran further alleged that inviting Modi while excluding Satheesan was a strategy by Vijayan to cosy up to the BJP and escape scrutiny in a case involving the Chief Minister's daughter. 'Pinarayi, who didn't even mention Oommen Chandy during last year's celebration when the first ship arrived, should correct that mistake now. He tried to take credit for the port even as a family affair,' Sudhakaran wrote, demanding the port be named after Chandy, who he described as the real architect of the Rs 8,867-crore Vizhinjam port, developed by Adani Ports under a public-private partnership model, is being hailed as a game-changer for India's maritime logistics. The project received its commercial commissioning certificate in December 2023, with full operations expected by 2028. IN THIS STORY#Kerala#Pinarayi Vijayan
