ISLAMABAD: Senator Saifullah Abro, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, has urged Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari to take action against National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) officials over alleged financial irregularities in the World Bank-funded 765kV Grid Station project at Islamabad West (Lot-IV).
In a letter to the minister, Senator Abro highlighted serious concerns over the mismanagement of the project, approved at a cost of Rs. 33.6 billion but later inflated to Rs. 35 billion due to the inclusion of Rs. 1.282 billion in taxes, contrary to the original bid documents and NTDC Board approval.
The senator revealed that the Standing Committee had identified these discrepancies during its review of power sector projects funded by multilateral partners. The committee learned that the additional cost was added post-contract signing, violating the terms of the tendering process and causing significant losses to the national exchequer.
During a December 2024 meeting, NTDC officials admitted to the error, which stemmed from poor oversight and governance. Senator Abro called for immediate corrective measures, including the recovery of funds, accountability for those responsible, and stricter mechanisms to ensure transparency in handling foreign-funded projects.
He emphasized the strategic importance of the grid station in stabilizing the power distribution network and reiterated the need to uphold good governance principles to prevent future irregularities.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
