Contracts of Dasu transmission: Senate body chief seeks audio and video recordings, minutes of NTDC’s meeting

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Power, Senator Saif Ullah Abro has sought minutes alongwith audio and video recording of the meeting of Procurement Committee of NTDC’s Board of Directors on the issue of contracts of 765 kV double circuit Dasu transmission line awarded to German consulting firm M/s GOPA and Chinese firm M/s Sinohydro.

The Procurement Committee of NTDC Board had been scheduled to meet on September 19, 2023 to probe whether contracts, which the World Bank claims were executed according to its rules, were transparent or there was any mis-procurement.

Chairman Standing Committee maintained that it was quite clear that NTDC had not adhered to instructions from the Lahore High Court, adding it was a blunder committed by the NTDC Board to quote wrong definition of Clause 3.26 in the Speaking Order. He further stated that if the borrower sought a No Objection Letter (NOL) from World Bank, then World Bank was in a position to take action against the borrower even when the project was closed.

The Standing Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (today) to deliberate the issue, which is already being debated heatedly for the last several months and NTDC officials have failed to satisfy the Committee so far.

On September 26, 2023 (today), the top brass of Power Division and Managing Director NTDC will share implementation status of LoT-1, Lot-II and Consultant M/s GOPA Intec for construction of 765 kV double circuit transmission line from Dasu Hydropower power station to Islamabad I/C grid station and hiring of consultants and contractor for Lot-III.

The Committee has also sought details of construction and commissioning of 500/220/132 kV Lahore North Grid Station under Asian Deployment Bank fund alongwith work orders, and completion certificates of the companies participated in bidding process for hiring of consultant and contractor.

Power Division will further provide an update on action taken by Power Division on the illegal appointment of Deputy Managing Director (System Operations) in NTDC as the matter has been pending since long and action taken against Chairman and Members of BoD, NTDC over the non-implementation of the instructions of Power Division.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023