Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Communications, Senator Hidayat Ullah Tuesday in a meeting showed grave displeasure regarding delay in payment to the owner who provided land for the construction of a road from Kaghan to Babusar. The meeting was held at Parliament Lodges. Taking up the issue of payment to land owners whose land had been acquired for the construction of a road from Kaghan to Babusar, the chairman asserted that the rates for the land determined in 1999 could not be applied today.
This would be a gross violation of rights, he added. Senator Hidayat Ullah said that if compliance report was not submitted in the next meeting constitutional action would be taken against the ministry. The meeting also discussed the number of Toll Plazas established on the Motorway and the mode of awarding contracts. The members asserted the need for transparency while awarding contracts and stressed the need for a detailed briefing on the tendering process.
Expanding the playing field for new players and generating competition was stressed as well. The committee decided to club this agenda item with that pertaining to the M8 Motorway and summon the Pakistan Engineering Council for a detailed briefing regarding various aspects of the Motorway and the criteria according for which technical bids were vetted, in the next meeting. While discussing the Chakdarra-Dir Motorway, the committee was informed that the Khyber Pakhtukhwa Government was planning to construct Chakdarra-Dir Motorway from Chakdara to Rabat (54 Km) on PPP Mode of financing, PC-II for appointment of consultant to conduct commercial and financial feasibility study on PPP Mode of financing had been prepared and had been approved for the cost of Rs 25.00 million. Bids received in response to the RFP floated on 30th August, 2020. Bid evaluation is in the process and expectedly the consultancy will be awarded in the first week of October, 2020.
