BRT set to receive jolt as DG PDA transferred sans KP consent

PESHAWAR: The much-talked about Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to receive yet another shock as the Director General (DG), Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Israrul Haq who is also BRT project director (PD) has been transferred by his parent department, the Auditor General of Pakistan.

The AGP unexpectedly and without informing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday ordered the repatriation of DG PDA at a point of time when only 60 percent of the civil work, according to the officials, could be completed on the project.

Israrul Haq, who belongs to the Account Services, is serving the provincial government on deputation in the Planning and Development (P&D) department. He is the third officer associated with the BRT project who has been transferred since its ground-breaking in October last year.

Israrul Haq’s transfer at a time when the six-month deadline for the completion of the construction of BRT infrastructure would end today has reportedly unnerved the provincial government, particularly Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

It also left the Local Government, Election and Rural Development Department (LGE&RDD) high-ups in a state of confusion as they did not know how to find a replacement for him at such a critical juncture.

However, when the matter was brought into the notice of the Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, he directed the DG PDA not to relinquish charge of his office as the provincial government would take up the matter with the AGP.

Meanwhile, background interviews with the officials associated with the project revealed that the deadline of April would be missed. The work on the project was started on October 20 after its groundbreaking was performed by the chief minister on October 19,

A high-ranking official closely associated with the project informed that keeping in view the work so far done the project will certainly take about four more months to complete.

To be more specific, he said the caretaker government or perhaps the next elected government might inaugurate the bus service on the corridor.

Another official privy to Thursday’s cabinet meeting said that the chief minister was angry with the project people and sought “a clear picture” of work on the project.

An officer of the PDA, on condition of anonymity, said that the project was divided into two activities -civil work and fabrications-and though work on both is continuing apace, yet it could not be completed in the next two months.

He said that on the average only 60 to 63 percent work had so far been done on the civil side of the project.

He elaborated that around 70 to 75 percent work has been completed on Reach-I that starts from Chamkani to Firdous Chowk.

He explained that about 63 percent work has so far been completed on Reach-II, which starts from Firdous Chowk passing through Khyber Bazaar, Soekarno Square, Shoba Bazaar, Sunehri Mosque, Peshawar Garrison Club and Amn Chowk. He added that only 60 percent civil work has been carried out on Reach-III, the final stretch beginning at Amn Chowk and ending at Hayatabad-V.

He informed that the contracted firms in Lahore were also engaged in fabrications for around 31 pre-fabricated stations on the corridor.

He said that foundations of the bus stations at the At-Grade area had been completed and at least in one place the fabrications were fixed in Reach-I. “We are facing challenges in Reach-II (Cantonment) area where the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), despite repeated requests, is not moving fast to shift electricity poles from the corridor,” he said.

It is originally, as indicated in the PC-I, an 18-month project and could hardly be completed in just six months, he pointed out.