ISLAMABAD- Opposition members in the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Planning and Development today expressed strong reservations about the ongoing Rawalpindi/Islamabad Metro Bus Project, Nandipur Power Project and Gaddani Power Park and demanded a special meeting of the committee on this issue.

The meeting of the committee was held here at the Parliament House with its head Abdul Majeed Khanankhel in the chair.  Secretary Planning and Development Hassan Nawaz Tarrar while briefing the committee about Gawadar-Kashghar Economic Corridor said the provincial governments will be responsible in future for making planning and arranging funds for projects related to the Economic Corridor. He said China has been given necessary information about the concerned provinces.

Answering questions of the committee members, the secretary Planning and Development said it was the Pakistan government which preferred eastern rout for the Economic Corridor project which passes through Mansehra, Haripur, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ratodero and Khuzdar. However, he said no work has been done on western route. He said Pakistan need not worry about planning under the Economic Corridor as China is doing this job.

On this PPP Member Dr Nafeesa Shah said the government was surrendering national autonomy in the name of development projects.  Tarar told the committee that Nandipur project has been closed due to unavailability of diesel, while the per unit electricity from Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur will cost Rs17 which will be gradually reduced later. Dr Nafeesa Shah inquired why electricity produced from solar energy was so costly.

Opposition members Dr Nafeesa, Aasia Nasir, Dr Abdul Haq, and Ahsan Mazari expressed strong reservations about the ongoing Rawalpindi/Islamabad Metro Bus Project, Nandipur Power Project and Gaddani Power Park and demanded a special meeting of the committee on this issue.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Statistics chief told the committee that due to law and order situation in the country the government will need to deploy army men with each census official. He said a summary has been sent to the Council of Common Interests for conducting census in the country. He said Balochistan chief minister has expressed some reservations over the census. He said if approved the census will be carried out within 10 months.