NESPAK directed to inspect dykes' rehabilitation

Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed the NESPAK to inspect dykes rehabilitation completed by contractors of the irrigation department during last year's heavy floods, reliable sources at Chief Minister's House told Business Recorder on Thursday.
NESPAK is a private engineering consulting firm which also provides consultancy to the Sindh government on dykes rehabilitation. The contractors would not get their bills without NESPAK NOC. A large number of government contractors had worked during the recent heavy floods on the verbal orders of officials of the irrigation department. They received Rs 700 million initially but they have not received the remaining amount of Rs 1.5 billion as yet despite passage of about 8 months, sources said.
In the mid of July 2010, When the floods entered in Sindh province, the officials directed the different government contractors for helping out in emergency. The contractors helped the irrigation officials in different tasks and made their bills according to the official rates, sources said.
The chief minister approved Rs 700 million in the beginning, which were given to the contractors but the non-payment of rest of amount created a war like situation between contractors and the officials. Secretary Irrigation, Rafiq Ahmed Memon had discussed the matter with Jam Saif-u-llah Dharejo but Dharejo had refused to approve the amount saying its quite very high and forwarded the matter to the chief minister of Sindh, sources said. When the chief minister received the summary, he called a meeting a few days before and discussed the issue in detail.
The chief minister directed that NESPAK would inspect works on the sites and then he would make decision, sources added. In this connection, a well informed official at the irrigation department told Business Recorder that contractors were very much confused due to non-payment of arrears that's why they have not taken interest in pre-monsoon arrangements and monsoon contingency plan became very late.
Despite many attempts, this scribe failed to contact Secretary Irrigation, Khalid Hyder Memon. When approached, Additional Secretary, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah confirmed that NESPAK would complete its inspection shortly and contractors will get their money.