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| Despite constructing two runways, when there was need for only one, a third is being planned. PHOTO:FILE |
The decision was taken after the government officials told that the runway would be constructed in 20 years’ time, and currently the government wanted to acquire the land at an estimated cost of Rs8.1 billion – something that sounded highly illogical to the PAC members.
Despite constructing two runways – when there was need for only one – a third is being planned. PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah grilled the Civil Aviation Authority officials and the National Highway Authority (NHA) for their faulty planning and ill-preparedness.
The PAC also delayed finalising the need of building a new stretch of a 13.5-kilometre long road – in order to have controlled access to the new airport – at an estimated cost of Rs31 billion, till Tuesday. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already approved the construction of the new road, while rejecting the other two options, told an NHA official to the PAC. The NHA has already banned private construction to acquire the land for runway.
The PAC deferred the decision after the NHA and the Ministry of Aviation failed to produce figures in support of a decision to construct a new road over two other available options which are less costly. The government officials will present the same figures to the Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and would become the basis of the decision for the construction of the new road.
The PAC has ordered to produce the names of the owners of the land along with both the sides of the planned road.
The PAC meeting was about revealing money minting at every stage of the project construction – the ‘game’ that is still continued, something feared by the PAC members. The estimated cost of the new Islamabad International Airport is Rs100 billion, excluding the Rs31 billion for the new road. A senior official of the audit department revealed in the PAC meeting that so far Rs82 billion audit objections have been framed against the airport project.
“On this side (PAC) there is deep suspicion that the entire game is about making money in land acquisition”, said PAC member Syed Naveed Qamar.
After the Secretary Aviation Division, Imran Ali Gardezi, revealed that the selection of the airport site was wrong, the PAC also directed to expand the scope of an ongoing inquiry by the Federal Investigation Agency and add selection of the site for the airport into a list of allegations to be probed. The inquiry has been ordered by the PM to find out who is responsible for the faulty design of the airport and the reasons for the delay in its execution.
“In the original PC-I – the detailed project document, there is no planning about the availability of water and the access roads,” Gardezi told the PAC. “The authorities are still struggling to cope with serious issues. The project is mismanaged to the extent that while visiting the project site on March 20, PM Sharif ordered to change the design of under construction airport terminal to add six more gateways.”
Gardezi said that the project consultant, M/s Louis Berger Group of US, was responsible for the faulty design and suggested that names of company’s officials may be placed on the Exit Control List.
“The premier has been presented with three options on the access road,” Gardezi informed the PAC. “The first option is to construct a new 13.5km road from Golara More to the airport site aimed at ensuring fast movement of traffic leading to the airport. The NHA official said the total cost of the project was Rs31 billion, including Rs13.8 billion for land acquisition.
The commercial land will be acquired at Rs20 million per kanal while the agriculture land will be acquired at Rs600,000 per kanal.
“The Planning Minister has decided that the width of this road will be 600 metres,” he said – a figure that shocked the PAC members. The Chief of the transport wing of the Ministry of Planning, Munir Anjum told the PAC that the purpose of the 600-metre wide road is to build commercial sites on both sides of the road, while the actual length will be 100 metres long.
The second option was to construct a 4.5km long road and the third option was to link the existing Kashmir Highway with the airport. But the NHA official could not produce the cost comparison of three routes.
Published in GNN & Tribune, May 6th, 2014.
