Construction of additional suites: NA body unhappy over delay

ISLAMABAD, April 14: The controversial project to build 100 additional family suites for parliamentarians and 500 quarters for their servants in Parliament Lodges at a cost of Rs3 billion could not be launched due to financial constraints; National Assembly Standing Committee on House and Library was informed on Thursday. However, members of the committee at a meeting expressed displeasure over non-execution of the project and directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to start work on the scheme.The CDA officials informed the committee that the authority was waiting for release of the funds by the government. "We informed the committee members that we cannot start the work due to paucity of funds," said CDA`s member engineering Abdul Jabbar Milano. The committee members said officials of the finance ministry should be called to the next meeting, so that they could be asked about the inordinate delay in the release of funds. The committee has already approved the project amid objections raised by the opposition over government`s plan to launch such a costly project despite severe financial crunch. Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Chuadhry Nisar Ali Khan had termed the project an extravagance and called for its shelving. In a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who inaugurated the project on January 19, Chaudhry Nisar questioned the rationale behind such an ambitious project when the nation was facing an economic crisis. The project has been awarded to Habib Rafique Limited, which is said to be owned by a close friend of Mr Gilani. According to a CDA official, the project was awarded at rate 35 per cent above the estimated cost. The committee, with acting speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi in the chair, also discussed the implementation status of the recommendations of the special committee on National Assembly Employees Cooperative Housing Society. An additional secretary of the National Assembly informed the meeting that the officials found involved in the embezzlement by the special committee had got a stay order from Islamabad High Court. "In the light of the report of special committee, the National Assembly Secretariat had written letters to the concerned department for action against the accused; however, the case is now sub judice," he said. The deputy commissioner of Islamabad informed the committee that on the recommendation of the special committee, negotiations for provision of plots to the members of the society had been under progress with an adjusting society. "The society`s administration had agreed to provide plots to the affected members at rates promised by NAECHS." He said the local administration had also retrieved 130 kanals additional land of the society which was under illegal occupation. Mr Kundi directed the National Assembly Secretariat to pursue the case in the court actively and implement the recommendations of the special committee in litter and spirit. The committee directed the local police to ensure strict security in Parliament Lodges and government hostel. The CDA was directed to make arrangements for provision of shades and water coolers for drivers of parliamentarians during the budget session.