Islamkot airstrip lost in BUREAUCRACY

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The construction of an airstrip in Islamkot – a project aimed at facilitating Thar coalfield investors that was supposed to completed by June 2011 – is still a distant dream due to the characteristic lethargic attitude of the bureaucracy and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government’s lack of interest.
Well-placed sources in the Sindh government told Pakistan Today that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has not built the much-awaited airstrip yet, despite the fact that the provincial government released Rs 315 million to the authority last year.
The Sindh government had approved the location of the airstrip that cost around Rs 972 million and the CAA was tasked to undertake its construction and maintenance.
In April 2010, the Sindh government and the CAA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the airstrip, after which the authority sought a no-objection certificate from the Army General Headquarters as the airstrip is located within 80 kilometres of the international border.
The provincial Finance Department released Rs 315 million to the CAA for starting the construction work on an immediate basis and the latter was supposed to complete its development by June 2011.
The Pakistan International Airline is supposed to operate chartered general aviation craft flights at the airstrip and it would also be used by the military. Besides, the airstrip would also serve significantly when power generation starts at the Thar coalfield.
In a review meeting held on December 28, 2010, the Sindh Coal and Energy Development Department secretary expressed concern over the slow progress of the scheme.
He was also unhappy over the report received from the Works and Services Department about performance of the lowest bidders.
The project’s consultant had earlier informed during a meeting held on December 2, 2010 that it would get the performance report about the lowest bidders from the Works and Services Department and arrange physical verification of the bidders’ equipment to assess their manpower and capability.
Besides, the consultant would also arrange a rate analysis of the major BOQ items from the lowest bidder for assessing its reasonability.
The consultant said the report received from the Works and Services Department revealed that the performance of Reliance Consultancy and Engineering Works is poor and the firm is involved in litigation under suit No 961/2009, in the high court. The second firm Ayub and Brothers has not worked in this department so far.
As the scheme is being executed by the CAA, the representatives of authority suggested that it would be appropriate to place the matter before the CAA Board in its meeting scheduled on January 10, 2011, wherein the consultant would also be invited to inform the board about the issues.
After receiving no response from the CAA, the Coal and Energy Development Department secretary forwarded a letter No SO(TECH)C&EDD/3-20(iv) to the CAA Headquarters director general on January 14, 2010.

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