ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Communications Dr. Arbab Alamgir
Khan Khalil said that ECNEC has approved 23.566 billion rupees PC-1 for
the rehabilitation of the 2010 flood affected highways.
In addition to
this the Asian Development Bank will also provide 185 million dollars’
assistance for the purpose.
The Federal Minister Dr. Arbab
Alamgir Khan Khalil expressed ECNEC has approved 23.566 billion rupees
for the rehabilitation of flood affected highways while addressing the
24th session of the National Highway Council in which Federal Secretary
Communications Anwar Ahmad Khan, Chairman NHA Syed Muhammad Ali Gardezi
and all members of the council participated.
The Federal
Minister said that the last year’s floods caused a loss of 858 billion
rupees to the economy out of which 113 billion has been in the
transport and communications sector. He said that the NHA this year has
had financial constraints because its sphere of activities has widened
considerably and funds provided to it by the government are far short
of the requirement.
Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan said that last year
the government allocated 44.637 rupees for NHA under the Public Sector
Development Program, but since a deduction of 50 % was made in the said
development expenditure, the NHA’s share was reduced to 18.5 billion
rupees and the NHA has received a total of 18.112 billion only.
That
is why payments to contractors of construction projects have been
delayed and it has also had an impact on the development process. Dr.
Arbab Alamgir Khan said that a total of 13.375 billion were due to be
paid to contractors by 30th June 2011 and a briefing was also given to
the Prime Minister in June 2011 in the said context and the Prime
Minister directed that, during the current year, only such projects may
be prioritized whose 70 % work has been completed, and should a project
of importance comes up for consideration, it may be given preference.
The
Federal Minister, while welcoming the new Chairman NHA Syed Muhammad
Ali Gardezi, congratulated him on taking charge and expressed the hope
that his professional capabilities will certainly improve NHAs
performance. Some important decisions regarding construction projects
and other issues were also made during the meeting of National Highway
Council. Online
