Retired military generals as chairmen of Wapda: Lawmakers express reservations over appointments

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers on a parliamentary panel expressed strong reservations Tuesday about the appointment of retired military generals as chairmen of Wapda, which manages the government’s largest portfolio of Rs350 billion.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting was held on Tuesday to examine the appropriation accounts of Water Resources Division of year 2022-23 and Audit Report for the year 2023-24.

In Wapda, the audit reports observed significant issues in project execution and contract management.

Projects were initiated without proper feasibility studies, planning and detailed designing. Most of the projects were stalled during the initial phase due to land acquisition issues. The impact of defective designing becomes evident in the wake of excessive increase in Bill Of Quantities (BOQ) and Variation Orders (VOs) on occasions even surpassing the original contract process.

Audit pointed out cost overrun as compared to original PC-I of 11 water projects increased manifold during anticipating completion period of the projects. Cost increase of Kachhi Canal- phase 1 (158.88 percent), RBOD-I (306.96 percent), RBOD-III (146.89 percent), Neelum-Jhelum hydropower Project (401.48 percent), GolenGol Hydropower (441.23 percent), GomalZam Dam (87.62 percent), Mangla Dam Raising (53.61 percent), AllaiKhwar Hydropower (90.12 percent), DuberKhwar Hydropower (145.27 percent), Khan Khwar Hydropower (85.53 percent) and Jabban Electric Hydropower (285.60 percent).

An audit official dismissed the justifications of the Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, who attributed delays in water projects primarily to the slow pace of settlement and land acquisition from provincial governments to Wapda. The audit official contended that manual of Planning Division states a water project must be executed only after acquisition of land.

Member Committee Muhammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel said why engineers from military were appointed as chairmen Wapda instead of civilians. Chairman Wapda Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (retired) clarified that he was appointed through international competitive process and it had nothing to do with the army. Chairman Committee Junaid Akbar observed in the past chairmen were appointed from the military.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025