- Former Planning Commission Director Arshad H Abbasi offers audit free of cost
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) is set to meet on Thursday with the hiring of consultancy services for the third-party validation (TPV) of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project as top agenda of the meeting.
According to the official documents available with Pakistan Today, a very ambitious cost of Rs 104.78 million has been allocated as the consultant’s fee–much beyond the expectations of the experts involved with the project.
Experts involved with the project see the allocation made for the consultancy as ‘irrational’ and ‘fishy’. “The allocation of Rs 104.78 million is beyond comprehension. We have already spent tremendously over this project which has been delayed time and again. Now the cost allocation is alarming,” an official related to the project said.
Eminent energy expert, Arshad H Abbasi, who resigned from the post of the Planning Commission project director after he was not allowed to develop the e-monitoring system, told Pakistan Today that this hydropower project is the most expensive project ever made in the history of hydropower development.
“Actually, the PDMU invited me at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat last year and sought my advice on the cost escalation and evaluation of the project. I offered my services free of cost for the sake of the country. It was principally decided that the audit would be conducted by my firm. Haani Masood, the senior advisor at the PMDU expressed gratitude to me for the favour. However, he never called me back,” he said.
Abbasi said that even today, he was ready to conduct the audit voluntarily for the sake of the country.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan had handed over the project to a consortium of China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) for early completion of the project.
The strategically important 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project will mark a major milestone towards its completion, as the excavation of about 68-kilometer-long tunnels system of the project will stand completed when the second Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) deployed on the project will break through the Right Headrace Tunnel.
Last year, the Water and Power Ministry had decided to get the audit of the project done by local consultants and the matter had been handed down to the Planning Commission Ministry for the audit.
An official related to the project said that after the lapse of almost a year, the Planning Commission failed to get its own experts hired for the task.
“Since the Planning Commission did not have the services of a proper expert, it has now been decided to hire experts for the third party validation,” the official said. When asked whether the consultant to be hired would be local or foreign, the official said that the final decision would be taken during the CDWP meeting.
“The allocation of rupees one billion is a huge one and it seems that a foreign consultant may be hired,” the official said and added that the PC-I of the project was of Rs 500 billion.
The source said that last year, in June, it was decided that instead of approaching international experts for the third party validation of the project, the ministry would like to get the task done by the Planning Commission.
“Therefore, the ministry had requested the Planning Ministry to conduct the third party validation of the project. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in principle also had approved the project and linked it to the third party validation by a panel of international experts,” the official added.
The official said that since now the much-talked-about Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project had entered its final stages and it would start power generation by February next year, it was up for the audit.
When contacted, Water and Power Ministry Spokesman Rana Abid, he refused to comment on the matter and said that the project CEO Brig (r) Mohammad Zareen would be able to comment.
Brigadier Zareen told Pakistan Today that the project was in an advanced stage and the filling of the hydropower would start in October this year.
“We would start filling the compound reservoir in October. The pressurising of the tunnelling system would commence by January next year. By February, the power generation would be started after the Chinese company hands over the project to Pakistan.
“After the reliability test, Pakistan would gradually increase power generation,” said Brig Mohammad Zareen.
The documents reveal that 95 per cent construction work has been completed on the project, involving extensive tunnels excavation work in one of the hardest terrains. The first unit of Neelum Jhelum Hydro Power Project will start electricity generation by the end of February next year, while the second unit in mid-March, whereas, the third and the fourth unit will be completed in April next year.
With this significant development, the waterway system of the project will enter the final phase which is scheduled to be completed in seven months. Thereafter, the tunnels will be ready to divert water from the dam site to the powerhouse.