Urging the president and prime minister not to announce special packages from PSDP allocations of the National Highway Authority (NHA), the Senate Standing Committee on Communications said in its report that PSDP funds should be given on ground of regional equity and released on one line disbursement basis.
Giving recommendations in its report for August 2009 to August 2011, which was submitted in the Senate on Wednesday, the Senate Standing Committee on Communications said, “The president and PM may not announce special packages from within the allocations of NHA and special allocations be made over and above the approved amount, particularly for deposit works and PSDP funds for projects in various provinces should be allocated keeping in view regional equity and be released on one line disbursement basis”.
The committee recommended to NHA to ensure that the given amounts were spent according to the priority prescribed in the PSDP. The committee also said in its report that equitable attention should be given to projects in backward areas, as it would help eliminate a sense of deprivation from under-developed areas of the country.
The committee said that contractors failing to complete maintenance works and required quality standards should be blacklisted and no contract should be awarded to them, including those who leave a project mid-way, in the future. The committee also said that open tender documents must be issued without any discrimination and the NHA chairman must ensure transparency in this regard.
The committee added that Balochistan should be given special preference keeping in view the sense of deprivation in the province and there should not be any cuts on PSDP funds for the province. The committee also recommended that tax should be levied on NATO trucks and trailers at exit points located on national highways and identical transit fee should also be charged from international freight traffic coming to Pakistan from Afghanistan, Iran and China for using national roads network.
According to the committee, NHA should revisit its project agreements with the National Logistic Cell (NLC) and Frontier Works Organisation (WFO) and take possession from them of toll plazas on motorways as soon as possible and contracts for toll collection should be awarded through open and competitive bidding on a guaranteed revenue basis.
