Bending the rules in haste

Governance PML-N style

In his quest for speedy initiation of development projects Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sometimes tends to bypass rules and regulations. This creates problems besides giving birth to manifold questions regarding the government’s priorities, the motives behind the choice of particular projects and the terms and conditions agreed with the contractors. Some of these issues were raised during the construction of Lahore Metrobus Project also when afterthought had led to changes in the original plan raising the expenditure on the project that could have been avoided if the plan had not been prepared in haste.

The Jail Road signal-free project has led to litigation causing the stoppage of the work for weeks. While the suspension of work has added to costs, it is also causing unnecessary hassle to tens of thousands of commuters every day. This would not have happened if the government had strictly gone by the book.

A newspaper report claims that rules have been bent and standard procedure not followed while pursuing another hastily prepared project, the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train. It is claimed that the framework agreement with the Chinese contractor was signed before completing the legal and procedural formalities. Further that the entire process of taking the proposals to the Central Development Working Party for technical evaluation and getting them approved by the ECNEC was completed in less than 15 days. Questions have been raised about the cost of the project which is supposedly exorbitant. Dissatisfaction has reportedly been expressed by the Planning Commission about the process of selection of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

The stand by Punjab government that since the entire amount of the Chinese loan would be repaid by the province, there was no need to provide all the details to the Planning Commission is questionable. The loan negotiated for the project will be repaid by successive governments in the province over 20 years. It was therefore necessary to get the entire project vetted by a neutral federal department like the Planning Commission.