Opposition members in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning and Development on Monday expressed 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 at the Parliament House with its committee head Abdul Majeed Khanankhel in the chair.
‘ECO CORRIDOR IS BETWEEN PROVINCES AND CHINA’:
Planning and Development Secretary Hassan Nawaz Tarrar briefed the committee about Gwadar-Kashghar Economic Corridor and said that the provincial governments will be responsible in future for planning, arranging funds for and making projects related to the economic corridor. He said China has been given necessary information about the provinces concerned.
Answering questions of the committee members, Tarrar said the Pakistan government has preferred the eastern route for the economic corridor project, passing through Mansehra, Haripur, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ratodero and Khuzdar. He added that no work has been done on the western route. He said Pakistan need not worry about planning of the economic corridor as China is doing the job.
Opposition member Dr Nafeesa Shah said the government is surrendering national autonomy in the name of development projects.
NO DIESEL FOR NANDIPUR PP:
Tarar told the committee that Nandipur project has been closed due to the unavailability of diesel. He said that per unit electricity from Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur will initially cost Rs17 but the price will gradually be brought down. Opposition member Shah enquired why electricity produced from solar energy was so costly.
SECURITY FOR CENSUS OFFICIALS:
Meanwhile, National Bureau of Statistics chief told the committee that due to the law and order situation in the country the government will need to deploy armymen with each census official. He said a summary has been sent to Council of Common Interests for conducting census in the country. He said Balochistan chief minister has expressed some reservations over the census. “If approved, the census will be carried out within 10 months,” said the bureau chief.