Latest news with #Rs71
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P grant shortfall sparks LG fury
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Employees Federation has expressed strong concern over the provincial government's inadequate release of grants for the payment of salaries and pensions to employees and pensioners of financially weak local government institutions. In an official statement, provincial leaders of the federation said that despite the relentless efforts of the organization, the Finance Department recently issued directives to release grants amounting to Rs360.400 million and Rs150 million for settled areas, and Rs71 million for merged areas. However, these grants fall significantly short of meeting the actual financial needs of the respective Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs). The federation criticized the provincial authorities for not considering ground realities before releasing the grants. They emphasized that such insufficient allocations are a recurring issue. Often, the approved amounts do not reflect the genuine demands submitted by TMAs, and in some cases, grants are denied altogether to the most financially vulnerable councils. As a result, many local government employees and pensioners were unable to receive their dues in time for Eidul Fitr and now face similar hardships ahead of Eidul Azha. The delay in grant approval further complicates the situation, as the funds do not reach the local bodies in time, leaving employees and pensioners without the means to perform religious obligations, including Qurbani (sacrifice). Leaders of the Local Government Employees Federation, including Patron-in-Chief Shaukat Kayani, Chairman Mehboobullah, President Haji Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat, and General Secretary Sulaiman Khan Hoti, strongly urged the provincial government to ensure that grant approvals are based on actual financial needs rather than favoritism or outdated formulas. They called for the timely and fair disbursement of grants.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
If a Constable taking Rs100 is removed from post, how is Bachhu Khabad still a cabinet minister: AAP's Isudan Gadhvi
Calling the Rs71 crore MGNREGA scam case filed against the sons and nephew of Gujarat Cabinet minister Bachhu Khabad just the tip of the iceberg, and saying it could go up to several hundred crores, Isudan Gadhvi, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat on Wednesday asked how the Panchayat Minister, whose family members had carried out a financial scam in his own department, was still in the state cabinet and had not been asked to step down even as the action against his family members had come from the Gujarat Police itself. Gadhvi asked, 'If a Police Constable taking a bribe of Rs100 is removed from service, how is Bachhu Khabad still a cabinet minister?' 'All his family members have looted Gujarat and so we demand he be removed as a minister and be investigated himself. When the panchayat minister himself is at his post and his family are under investigation, which officers will carry out an impartial investigation?' asked Gadhvi. Speaking at a press conference in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, Gadhvi further said, 'We also believe that the MGNREGA scheme scam is on the statewide scale. All of the money is coming into the scheme, is for giving 100 days employment to the poor. The ministers of BJP, various officials and the panchayat minister himself are involved in this scam. This should be investigated across the state. We will keep protesting till Khabad does not resign.' Gadhvi also dragged the Congress party into the scam, a development that came after Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil on April 18 said that they would contest the assembly by-elections for Visavadar and Kadi assembly seats solo and not in alliance with AAP. This development was highly surprising for everyone, especially for AAP, who have, since the beginning of their campaign for the Visavadar-Bhesan assembly seat in Junagadh, reiterated time and again that they hoped and believed that the Congress would stand by their understanding of not fielding a candidate in Visavadar by-election since the AAP had adhered to a previously struck bargain of not fielding it's candidates in the by-election for the Vav Assembly seat held in November 2024. In fact, this claim of an 'understanding' between the AAP and Congress over the Visavadar-Bhesan seat, a very important constituency for the two INDIA alliance partners since it was the constituency of Gujarat's former BJP CM Keshubhai Patel, has been reiterated ever since AAP's Gopal Italia announced his nomination for the seat on March 24, 2025. Speaking on this development, Isudan Gadhvi said, 'When the by-election came, AAP refrained from fielding candidates in Manavadar, Khambhat and Vijapur and then subsequently in Vav as well because We thought the Congress would have a better chance of defeating the BJP. But today it appears a big Congress leader from Saurashtra and his company are involved in the MGNREGA scam. Perhaps that is why they have conspired to field a candidate in Visavadar by-election.' Calling the Congress move highly suspect, Gadhvi also mentioned the understanding between the two parties regarding the Vav and Visavadar by-elections. A Congress leader told the Indian Express that it was Shaktisinh Gohil and Tushar Chaudhary of their party who had initially investigated the 'MGNREGA scam' and then written to CM Bhupendra Patel to take action in the MGNREGA scam. The Indian Express also spoke to Dr Manish Doshi, spokesperson of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), regarding the allegations made by AAP. He said, 'If the AAP really want to do some work, they shouldn't do politics on the matter and rather ask questions of the BJP government. You want support from the Congress but also make allegations on it.' When asked whether there was an understanding between the two parties with regards to the Vav and Visavadar seats, Dr Doshi said, 'Whenever there is an understanding, you have to discuss candidates. You cannot just unilaterally announce a candidate and then ask the Congress to support you.' Notably, since Keshubhai Patel left the BJP and won the Visavadar seat from his newly-formed GPP in 2012, the seat has never been won back by the BJP. While Harshadkumar Ribadiya won the by-election of 2014 that was prompted by Keshubhai's resignation on health grounds, and then again in 2017, the seat was then won by Bhupendra (Bhupat) Bhayani of AAP in 2022. The current by-election was necessitated after Bhayani left AAP and joined the BJP in 2023.
Express Tribune
12-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
M-12 motorway cost swells six times to Rs71b
Listen to article The delay in land acquisition for motorway project M-12 (Sialkot-Kharian) and an unprecedented increase in inflation and Karachi Inter-bank Offered Rate (Kibor) have caused a massive rise of six times in the cost of the project to Rs71 billion. Sources in the National Highway Authority (NHA) told The Express Tribune that construction cost of the project stood at Rs22.5 billion initially in 2021 that jumped up to Rs71 billion for six lanes by December 2024. They said that NHA chairman, in a recent high-level meeting, informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that due to the realignment of road from the original Request for Proposal (RFP), prompted by the hydraulic model study for a bridge at the Chenab River, there was a delay in land acquisition for the realigned portion. He said that additional delays were caused by changes in scope and an unprecedented increase in inflation and Kibor. As a result, the concessionaire submitted a request to NHA for renegotiation of the public-private partnership (PPP) agreement in November 2023. The P3A board referred the matter to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in October 2024, he said, adding that due to the aforementioned factors, the construction cost of the project increased from the initial Rs22.5 billion in 2021 to Rs61.529 billion for four lanes and Rs71 billion for six lanes by December 2024. The working group had recommended on December 12, 2024 that the Sialkot-Kharian motorway be constructed as a six-lane facility from the outset. They directed NHA to submit a position paper through the Ministry of Communications to the Planning Commission for approval from the relevant forums. In pursuance of the working group's decision, a study was conducted to assess the traffic volume. It concluded that two additional lanes would be required by 2027, with extra expenditure of Rs20.7 billion. However, the construction of six lanes from the outset would cost an additional Rs9.5 billion, resulting in approximate savings of Rs11 billion. Accordingly, the NHA and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) deliberated on three options on February 21, 2025 including the six-lane option proposed by NHA, with a base construction cost of Rs71 billion and a total project cost of Rs81.97 billion. Sources said that the prime minister and the bodies concerned endorsed the proposal for the construction of six lanes from the outset. It was decided in a recent meeting that the Ministry of Communications and NHA would submit a position paper involving the six-lane option for M-12 (Sialkot-Kharian) and other scope changes for approval from the relevant forums. It was also decided that NHA would submit a revised financing structure and seek the P3A board approval within two weeks. Additionally, the NHA will submit a revised PC-1 of the project for approval from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) within one month, by April 10, 2025. NHA and FWO shall execute an amendment to the PPP agreement in line with the approved financing structure by April 30, 2025. It was further decided that in future, any technical study that may impact the execution of a project should be included as part of the feasibility study to ensure comprehensive planning and avoid delays. NHA shall deliver a comprehensive presentation to the minister for planning, development and special initiatives on its priority Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects within one week. Also, the NHA shall develop a holistic master plan for planned motorways and highways, ensuring end-to-end connectivity rather than isolated, fragmented development. Considering the strategic and socio-economic importance of N-25, it was agreed that NHA should undertake fast-track construction of the Karachi-Quetta section, followed by the Quetta-Chaman section, with a targeted completion timeline of three years. Additionally, the NHA should ensure the establishment of service and rest areas at suitable locations to enhance the safety and convenience for road commuters.
Express Tribune
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
AJK to raise 1,000-strong Rangers Force
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwaarul Haq has expressed serious concern over the negative propaganda by certain elements to malign the state institutions, affirming that civil liberties are being upheld in the state. Talking to the media, the AJK premier dismissed rumours regarding budgetary issues with the federal government as entirely unfounded. He stated that last year, the budgetary allocation was utilised without any lapses in the recurring budget. Despite facing a fiscal deficit of Rs71 billion due to subsidies on flour and electricity, the government managed to settle Rs10 billion in outstanding development liabilities, he said and assured that despite financial challenges, progress on the development work in the region continued unabated. The AJK premier highlighted that the previous administrations did not adequately address the challenges related to counter-terrorism and the law-enforcement in AJK. He accused India's intelligence outfit, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), of trying to destabilise the region. "Thousands of fake accounts are being operated from abroad on social media and behind these fake accounts is the Indian intelligence agency RAW," he said, referring to fifth generation warfare unleashed by India to destabilise the AJK. The Foreign Office of Pakistan, he continued, was actively engaged in advocating the Kashmiris' just cause and raising awareness about the challenges facing the Kashmiri people, both domestically and internationally. Describing Jihad as an undeniable reality, he asserted that Jihad remained the only option for the Kashmiris to liberate their homeland from India. He stressed that Azad Kashmir acted as the base-camp for the liberation of occupied Kashmir. He mentioned that the process to establish the 'Rangers Force' in Azad Kashmir was in final stages. "The main objective behind the establishment of Rangers Force is to secure strategic installations," the AJK prime minister told reporters. "Currently, we lack a reserve force in Azad Kashmir and often rely on the Punjab Police or the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) to maintain the law and order," he said, adding that a decision had been taken to recruit 1,000 local individuals in the Ranger Force. Expressing concern over the dire human rights violations in the Indian-occupied territory, he described the situation in the region as alarming. He said that there was no comparison between Azad Kashmir and the occupied Kashmir, which continued to suffer under India's aggressive military control.
Express Tribune
27-01-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Gas market opening to slash circular debt
ISLAMABAD: The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has facilitated the energy sector by opening gas market for the private sector, which is expected to contribute Rs71 billion per year to circular debt reduction. Additionally, the government will collect Rs13 billion annually on account of sales tax. These remarks were made by Universal Gas Distribution Company CEO Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha. Circular debt, which has plagued the energy sector for decades, has now crossed Rs1.6 trillion. Exploration and production (E&P) companies are owed $700 million owing to delay in payments by clients and gas curtailment. The recent decision of selling 35% gas, found by exploration firms, to a third party will help to resolve such non-payment issues. Earlier, oil and gas exploration companies were allowed to sell 10% of gas to third parties, which the current government increased to 35% in a bid to open the market and improve cash flow for energy firms. When contacted, Paracha, who is also a member of a special committee led by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, praised the pivotal role of SIFC that facilitated critical reforms in the gas sector. "With SIFC's consistent involvement, support and consultations with companies and stakeholders, policies and decisions are being implemented successfully," he said. These "efforts will rejuvenate the energy sector and put Pakistan on the road to rapid development." Paracha said in case of 100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas supply, companies would pay approximately $255.5 million in advance, equivalent to around Rs71.28 billion. This prepayment will prevent the accumulation of circular debt. Another key benefit is the increase in government revenue through sales tax. This policy is expected to generate roughly $46 million, or around Rs12.81 billion, in sales tax. Additionally, it will help save foreign exchange. "If even one LNG (liquefied natural gas) cargo is not imported, the country can save about $400 million, or around Rs111 billion, in a year. This will significantly bolster the national exchequer," he added. Background discussions with officials of oil and gas exploration companies revealed that the government and gas firms would benefit significantly from the participation of private sector in gas marketing, distribution and sales. This collaboration will accelerate the development of Pakistan's energy sector and enhance self-reliance. They said that through the implementation of the new policy, the problem of circular debt would largely be resolved, potentially eliminating it from the gas sector. It will also have a positive impact on the cash flow of E&P companies, which will encourage further investment. Consumer gas prices are expected to fall gradually while earnings of gas companies will improve. Experts added that risks associated with new gas supplies would be reduced to zero and the unaccounted-for-gas will go further down. Moreover, they said, the government would no longer be required to subsidise any sector as the policy will attract more private companies and foreign investors. The government has laid the foundation; now the private sector must collaborate to drive the policy forward.
