ISLAMABAD - The government is planning to deploy around 22700 security personnel for the protection of Chinese and other foreign nationals working on the proposed Pakistan Railway’s Mainline-I (ML-I), a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework project.
The security personnel will be deployed on the ML-I project for 10 years and it will cost around Rs 36 billion (or 3pc of the total project budget), official source told The Nation here Sunday.
Regarding the bifurcation of the security force deployment, the source said that it will include 14560 Army Personnel, Special Protection Unit (SPU) 3360, Private Security Guards (PSG) 3360, Watchmen 1120 and Railway Police 260.
The source said that the pays of the army personnel and railway police will be met through their respective organizations’ current budget, however, the rest of the manpower will be paid through a project to be launched for the purpose.
The main objectives of this project are to provide foolproof security to construction camps and the Chinese and other foreign personnel to be deployed during the course of construction work of upgradation of ML-1 project, the source maintained.
The source said that upgradation of ML-1 project is the CPEC umbrella project and its PC-I was approved by the ECNEC in August, 2020, at a rationalized cost of $ 6.806 billion.
While rationalizing the cost of PC-I of ML-1 project, CDWP deleted the 1pc security cost from the scope of the project which was approximately Rs 13.9 billion ($79.567 million).
The Chinese side and other stakeholders expressed its concerns upon the deletion of security component from the approved PC-I for up-gradation of ML-1.
The Prime Minister’s office in March, 2021 had directed the Ministry of Railways to evaluate its security needs for up-gradation of Pakistan Railways Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, in consultation with stakeholders, and take up the case, along with full justifications and details, with Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives at the earliest.
Following the PM directive, the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Ministry of Railways in consultation with the representatives of the Chinese coordinating firm as stated in the Framework Agreement prepared a report containing construction phasing, tentative number / location of construction camps and estimated Chinese work force, and submitted its report.
Interestingly, the security component in not only being included in the ML-I project but its share is being increased by almost 200pc, the source said.
After consultation with the stakeholders, a PC-I for the Provision of Security for the Up-gradation of Pakistan Railway’s Mainline-1 (ML-1), with an escalated cost of Rs 36 billion, will be presented to the CDWP for approval, the source said.
The instant project envisages provision of security for construction sites / camps and project staff, particularly foreign nationals who will be deployed for execution of the project of up-gradation of ML-1 and establishment of a dry port. The Planning commission while questioning hike in the cost of the project said that earlier this cost of security, was part of the umbrella PC-I of ML-I, and was provided at 1% of the cost i.e. Rs 13.9 billion. However, the CDWP had recommended the removal of the cost of security was from the umbrella PC-I of ML-I. Now a separate PC-I has been prepared with total cost of approximately Rs 36 billion which is very high as compared to the provision made in the earlier PC-I, the planning commission said in its comments and asked the sponsors of the project to justify the increase in cost.