Latest news with #Nespak
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
NJHP tunnel collapse costs Rs35bn: Nespak
ISLAMABAD: The National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) on Friday revealed that one tunnel of Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project collapsed, causing physical damage of around Rs35 billion, besides over Rs100 billion losses due to non-power generation. This was revealed before the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, which was chaired by Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, here on Friday. Nespak officials informed the committee a tunnel of the Neelum-Jhelum project has collapsed. Three committees have been formed to inquire into the matter, said Nespak officials, adding that physical damage of Rs35 billion occurred. Further a loss of over Rs100 billion resulted due to lack of electricity generation. The location where the tunnel is located is 5.5 km below, said the officials, adding that it was being examined that whether the fault lies with the project consultants or the geological conditions of the site. A briefing was also given by the managing director Nespak on the organisation's performance over the past three years. The committee was apprised that Nespak has successfully undertaken 4,822 projects both domestically and internationally. Of these, 595 projects were completed internationally in 40 countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros Islands, Dominica, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. Non-availability of NJHP project: Consumers overpaid Rs167.787bn for costly power NESPAK has also entered into joint ventures with renowned foreign and local firms on a project-to-project and long-term basis, which have proven beneficial to all stakeholders involved. The matter was deferred. The committee directed a list of NESPAK's ongoing projects for review in the next session. The committee also considered The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan. He explained that the bill seeks to allocate one per cent of the authority's annual fund to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These may include the establishment of rehabilitation centres for drug addicts, skill development and employment generation, poverty alleviation, and efforts to promote gender equality and empower women. It was also presented that the authority shall ensure transparency and accountability in the use of CSR funds, per the rules and regulations to be formulated under the Act. After a thorough discussion, the committee decided to defer the bill. The committee directed the Cannabis Authority to submit its recommendations on the proposed amendments after placing them before its board. The committee then took up Starred Question No 27, raised by Senator Shahadat Awan in the Senate session held on July 25, concerning the criteria adopted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for enforcing roll-out obligations in the absence of a formal regulation or framework regarding right-of-way. After deliberation, the committee decided to defer the matter and invite the Ministry of Information Technology to the next meeting for a comprehensive briefing on the policy framework currently in place. The remaining agenda items were deferred due to the absence of members. The session was attended by senators, Farooq Hamid Naek, Fawzia Arshad, Dr Afnanullah Khan, and Shahadat Awan. As well as special invitees, senators, Bilal Khan Mandokhel and Sardar Al Haj Muhammad Umer Gorgaij. The committee took up key legislative and oversight matters concerning regulatory frameworks, national development initiatives, and institutional performance. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Yellow Line project: PC-1 not yet been prepared, LHC told
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday told that the PC-1 for the Yellow Line project on Canal Road had not yet been prepared. Advocate General Punjab submitted a report on behalf of the Punjab Transport and Mass Transit Authority in the petitions about the environmental issues. The Court, however, observed that it is not against any development project but concerned about the protection of trees. 'Whatever project is planned, trees should not be cut down,'. Earlier,, provincial secretary for transport on a court query stated that a study for the project on Canal Road was currently underway. The advocate general said the project was still under study, and Nespak had geo-tagged the trees and developed a mobile application for this purpose. The court observed that the government was free to plan development projects, but trees must not be felled. the court remarked that only trees can mitigate the crisis of melting glaciers. The court declared that felling trees would be a sin. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
30-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Rs500m loss inflicted on national exchequer? Senate body raises questions over role of Nespak, NTDC
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs raised serious questions over the role of National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt) Limited (Nespak) and National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) in awarding the bid to the third lowest, causing Rs500 million loss to the national exchequer. The committee met with Saifullah Abro in the chair here on Thursday for further discussion on the recommendation made after detailed deliberations in the committee's previous meetings concerning the EAD and its related departments (NTDC projects including 765Kv Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Line project (LoT-I-LoT-IV) upto date progress, expenditure and briefing through MD, Nespak on ADB 401B-2022 LoT-II A(ACSR Bunting Conductor) regarding inquiries reports. The committee's chairman remarked that it was a matter of great embarrassment that Nespak, a national institution responsible for technical evaluations, failed to prevent such a decision. It was Nespak's responsibility to ensure proper verification, because Nespak's role is to scrutinise the document, he stated. Senator Abro highlighted that the 'contract is not awarded to the deserving by which the Rs500 million of the country could have saved.' He noted that 'the company to which the project was awarded Newage, Lahore, lacked the relevant experience, while expressing serious concern that this type of negligence cannot be ignored.' Senator Abro stated that the matter will be pursued through the relevant forums like, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to ensure that the public funds are recovered. He also recommended that strict action should also be taken against the involved officers. Referring to legal inconsistencies, he questioned 'if Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) laws are not applicable in the case of domestic preference, and how can a letter from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) be considered valid?' He recalled that during the previous meeting, three written letters were presented by the caretaker minister, which further raised serious questions regarding the transparency of the process. When the committee sought further details, it was informed that all relevant data from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) had been destroyed in a fire, and only one verified letter was presented before the committee. Senator Kamal Ali Agha inquired whether an inquiry was conducted following the fire incident. The concerned department stated that no inquiry had been carried out. The chairman committee, recommended that a formal inquiry be conducted into the fire incident and that strict action be taken against those found responsible, including officers from the Power Division. During the committee meeting, a discussion was held regarding where the department conducts testing, which institutions are responsible, and where laboratories are located in Pakistan. The department informed the committee that type testing is conducted internationally and not within Pakistan. It was further stated that the type test for the current year, 2024, was conducted in Hungary. The chairman inquired about who the witness to the test? The department told that the witness was not verified. They also stated that, according to a 2023 policy, having a witness was not a mandatory requirement by the consultant. However, after detailed discussion, it was revealed that no such policy had been formulated. The chairman committee strongly remarked that no valid testing had been conducted and an attempt was made to mislead the committee, which amounted to fraud. The chairman asked whether any recovery of the misused funds had been made, to which the department responded that a letter had been written to NTDC regarding the matter. The chairman committee recommended that all the involved companies be blacklisted, the misappropriated funds be recovered, and that the officers involved be terminated from service. Furthermore, he recommended that the recovered amount should be deducted from the salaries of the responsible officers. The committee also inquired about the report and minutes of the 282nd Board meeting, as well as the letter issued by the NTDC Board. It was noted that while the minutes of the committee meeting were dated 24th December 2024, the Board was required to submit its report within 15 days. However, the BOD has submitted after six months. Meanwhile, the committee remarked that the Board itself is violating its own letter and treating the amount of Rs1.28 billion as insignificant. The chairman recommended that strict action be taken against the Board and that the amount be recovered within two weeks. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
30-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Rs600m corruption unearthed in Dasu project
The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday detected mega corruption in Dasu Hydropower Transmission Line project, calling for a thorough investigation by the relevant authorities, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The committee which met with its chairman Senator Saifullah Abro in the chair, was informed that that the project contract was awarded on the basis of a letter from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) in 2015, while the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) presented wrong figures. The chair expressed anger over the alleged corruption in the project, amounted to Rs600 million. "How could the project be given to a company based on a letter," he raised the question. "It is the responsibility of all institutions to investigate it." The committee was informed that Nespak presented wrong figures during the scrutiny of the bidder, and the Nespak managing director confessed to the wrong figures. The committee directed action against the wrong figures presented by Nespak officials. "The negligence of the Power Division [in this issue] should be investigated. This matter should be investigated by NAB and FIA," Abro told the committee. "The officials who gave wrong figures should be terminated," he added.
