Dasu transmission line scam probe: Composition of Senate panel may be changed

ISLAMABAD: The composition of Senate Standing Committee on Power probing $700 million scam of 765-kV double circuit Dasu transmission line, a project of World Bank, may be changed, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

The Committee, in its previous meeting held on September 26, 2023, had given two weeks time to Procurement Committee of NTDC Board to finalise analysis of documents and firm up recommendations for the future of project.

The sources said that on September 14, 2023, after the Power Standing Committee meeting, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani replaced Senator Shibli Faraz, a PTI Senator from Power Committee to Senate Standing Committee on Aviation with Senator Dilawar Khan, who voted for Sanjrani in Chairman Senate elections despite the fact that he was a PML-N Senator.

‘Dasu transmission line corruption’: NTDC BoD body given 2 more weeks to finalise recommendations

On the same lines, soon after the meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Power on September 26, 2023, Chairman Senate replaced membership of Power Committee of Senator Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai with Senator Manzoor Ahmed.

Unconfirmed reports suggest an attempt may be made to change the existing Chairman Standing on Power, Senator Saifullah Abro through no confidence move as power sector entities specially NTDC and Discos are angered at being routinely grilled for poor performance and alleged corruption.

In the last meeting, NTDC officials and World Bank Islamabad office was criticised for reportedly conniving in award of contracts of Dasu transmission line to those firms, which had no experience in the construction of such big projects.

Additional Secretary-III Power Division, Arshad Majeed Mohmand was angered at TDC for disclosing a letter of September 15, 2023 written by the World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine to Secretary Power Division in the Senate Standing Committee meeting dismissing the WB letter as nothing, adding matter is at NTDC Board’s Procurement Committee.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023