The Ministry of Science & Technology (S&T) wasted Rs 1,413,350 million as a project of pure drinking water was shut down without any reason.
Machinery costing million rupees has been dumped. It had been purchased for the project exclusively. Apart from this many of the employees are wondering what their future will hold. Hundreds of employees are waiting for their salaries as Eid approaches. The S&T is neither able to continue nor able to close.
According to the details, during the Musharraf era in 2006, the pure drinking water project was initiated at the cost of Rs 1,413,350 millions. It was supposed to be complete in December last year, and was meant to provide pure drinking water to the public. The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) established more than 24 quality testing laboratories in different cities of the country and 300 highly qualified employees were sent abroad for training.
Until this government, 83 per cent of the project work was completed and 76 per cent of the project amount was released. However, sources suggest that this government ordered that the project be shutdown in July last year, though PCRWR requested the government to review the order. However, the government paid no heed to the request and shutdown the project because of its feelings for Musharraf. Around 800 will be left unemployed because of the decision.
Sources also confirmed that the staff has not being paid, nor has it been accommodated in other departments. If the situation remain the same, millions of rupees in machinery and hundreds of highly qualified staffers will be on the road, due to the ignorance, incompetence and personal enmity of the present rulers.
PCRWR Chairman Dr. Mohammad Ashraf said that PCRWR requested the higher officials to review this decision but there was no response. The staff working with the project will have their salaries before Eid and then they will decide the future of this project, he added.
A spokesperson for the ministry was out of the country and unavailable for a comment.
