PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: After a utility store was inaugurated there recently, a Senate panel on Thursday directed the top civic agency of the federal capital to provide space for the construction of a beauty parlour in the Parliament Lodges.



This was directed by the Senate House Committee on Thursday which met at the Parliament House with Senator Saleem Mandviwalla in the chair.



The panel censured the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for ignoring past directions for opening a beauty parlour in the Parliament Lodges for women lawmakers.



Senator Kulsoom Parveen told the committee that despite clear directions from the convener of the committee that CDA officials consult her and Senator Samina Saeed to allocate space for the beauty parlour in the Parliament Lodges, no official from the civic body had contacted them as yet.



The chairman directed the CDA to resolve the issue on priority in consultations with the two senators.



Additional blocks



The committee reviewed a report of its sub-committee regarding the construction of additional blocks in Parliament Lodges.



Senators were told that the process of hiring a new consultant for the project is underway and for this purpose, tenders were released on February 18.



Committee members were further informed that the consultant will be hired in line with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, while the entire process will take around three weeks to complete.



CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed said that around 94% of arrears of the last consultant have been cleared, while around 52% of construction work on the additional blocks had been completed.



Mandviwalla inquired about the external inquiry report regarding the hiring of the former consultant.



The CDA chairman said that there is a need to prepare a new project concept-I (PC-I) for the project, arguing that it has almost been a decade since work on the project had started.



The committee directed CDA to complete the construction of the additional blocks and decided to hold monthly meetings to review the progress of the project.



CDA affairs



Senator Mandviwalla said that the committee had asked the CDA to prepare a financial plan regarding the maintenance and repair of the lodges but the authority had failed to do so.



He lamented that affairs in the CDA are degenerating every day. The CDA was directed to overcome all internal issues and ensure the resolution of all existing problems.



On the maintenance budget for the Parliament Lodges, the committee was told that thus far, around Rs203 million of the Rs319 million allocated had been utilised already.



Referring to a report, Senator Saeed pointed out that the water being supplied to the Parliament House and lodges was unhealthy. She instructed the CDA to ensure the supply of clean water.



Senator Mandviwalla directed the CDA to have the quality of water being supplied to the lodges tested by a third party and submit a report every 15 days.



Commenting on the report submitted by the Islamabad Water Supply director, Mandviwalla said that the relevant federal minister had admitted to the poor quality of water before the committee but the facts stated in the report were contrary to this. Interior Ministry additional secretary suggested that the water situation can improve if the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) was given a separate budget for it.



Delay in utility bills



Recalling the committee’s orders, Senator Saeed added the parliamentarians are still receiving their utility bills a day before the due date. Shifting the blame on to the CDA, officials of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) said that they send bills to the CDA promptly, but the authority does not forward it on time.



At this, the committee chairman directed IESCO officials to send bills directly to the parliamentarians.



The committee further directed to cut the power of those lawmakers who have not paid their bills for two consecutive months.



Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2020.