Senate body dissatisfied with award of Mohmand Dam contract

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over awarding the contract of Mohmand Dam to Descon on single bidding and despite knowing that the company had already disqualified for constructing a small dam in Balochistan.

The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources that met with Senator Shamim Afridi questioned that how a company which was disqualified for a small dam in Balochistan was awarded contract of such a big dam.

While taking briefing from Wapda, Senator Yusuf Badini asked that why you are awarding contract of Mohmand Dam on the basis of single bid? “You have disqualified Descon for a small dam project in Balochistan,” he said. He asked that when Descon was disqualified for a small project of worth Rs10 billion, how it become qualified for such a big project.

It is pertinent to mention here that a joint venture of NLC and Descon was disqualified for Garuk Dam project located in Kharan district of Balochistan province.

Senator Hasil Bizenjo also expressed the same views and said that there is something fishy in the matter of Mohmand Dam contract.

Wapda representatives said that the bidding process of Mohmand Dam has already been completed and financial issues were being discussed currently which obviously take time. Members of the committee questioned why a company which was disqualified for a small dam project in Balochistan was awarded contract of a big project worth Rs309 billion by the federal government.

Senator Usman Kakar and Yusuf Badini said that they are not satisfied with the bidding process of Mohmand Dam. Senator Sabir Shah asked the chairman committee to include Mohmand Dam in the agenda of next meeting. The committee decided to convene another meeting soon on the issue.

The committee also discussed the water accord 1991. Senator Usman Kakar said that the provinces have reservations over the accord. Secretary Water Resources informed that a committee under Attorney General has already been constituted to address the water issues among the provinces. The committee will submit its report during the next meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI), he added. He said that CCI is likely to meet in February and hopefully it would sort out the water dispute between Sindh and Balochistan.

The committee discussed Chiniot Dam in Punjab, Gawalien Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Halak Dam in Balochistan.