ISLAMABAD-The Senate Committee on Power has recommended referring the case for the award of contract for World Bank funded transmission line project from Dasu to Islamabad, to FIA or NAB, following unearthing serious irregularities in the contract. The committee after examining in detail step wise pre qualification process of the 765kV double circuit transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad, proved evident that the pre qualification bid was wrongly made and said that M/s GOPA Intec as consultant was responsible for wrong bid.
The Senate Power Committee that met with Senator Saifullah in the chair has also questioned that on which basis M/s GOPA Intec validated the bid. The Committee stated that there is an ample evidence of irregularities which are being committed by the previous BoD, NTDC and M/s GOPA Intec as a consultant. Therefore, the committee directed the Power Division to take strict action against the alleged officials and recommended to referred the case to FIA or NAB and submit report within a week. Moreover, the Standing Committee also unanimously decided and directed Power Division to write a letter to World Bank to apprise it about irregularities committed in award of the contract.
The committee in continuation with previous meeting deliberated first on the point of appointment procedure of BoDs working under Power Division. The Committee directed Power Division to prepare a performa in tabulated form as per the Act, on the appointment of BoDs in two weeks along with the verification certificate of the credentials of the members. The committee directed that after evaluation if the member failed to meet the requirement should be eligible for removal from the Board. The Committee also decided to make appropriate amendments on the appointment of BoDs under the new Act. The Committee observed that the NTDC continued to give inaccurate, incomplete and misleading information to the Committee by holding World Bank responsible for procurement process. Chairman Committee as per the previous meeting reiterated that the NTDC failed to provide the substantial completion certificate and the letter later provided did not meet the apt criteria of completion of 4.5 years. On a question of the completion date of the project in connection to the substantial document, the committee directed MD, NTDC to suspend Abdul Muqeet, Deputy Manager, NTDC and asked him to leave the meeting immediately on account of providing wrong information, about the date of completion. However, later the representative was called back for briefing. The Committee also observed that the progress report as well as letter of acceptance, for the contract was also missing in the briefing material.