NUZHAT NAZAR

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence has approved expansion and renovation of PAC (Pakistan Aeronautical Complex) Hospital Kamra and recommended provision of modern equipment in it.

The NA Standing Committee on Defence met Thursday under the chairmanship of MNA Sheikh Rohale Asghar. The committee discussed the budgetary proposals of the Ministry of Defence relating to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the financial year 2017-18.

The committee approved the expansion of PAC Hospital Kamra and provision of modern equipment in it. The hospital lacks CT scan and MRI machines and other modern equipment to provide health facilities to the over 100,000 employees of PAC as well as local population.

The committee said that project regarding accommodation facility for the PAC employees should also be included in the PSDP for financial year 2017-18. The committee recommended the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform to include new unapproved 49 projects, with estimated cost Rs9138.242 million, in the PSDP and also allocate the requisite funds for the ongoing and new approved schemes in order to complete the development schemes in time.

An official of Defence Ministry while briefing about PSDP projects of the ministry said that there are 58 projects in total, out of which only 5 project are ongoing, whereas 4 projects have been approved and rest of 49 are still unapproved.

About the project related to water distribution network for Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB), CEO RCB Dr Saima Shah explained that Rawalpindi requires 45 million gallons of water for its total population. She said Rawalpindi currently consumes only 9 million gallons of water and this project will provide another 19.6 million gallons of water. She added that Rawalpindi will still face 50% water shortage.

The committee came to know that most of the projects waiting for funds allocation are more than five years old.

The project regarding installation of security equipment at Pakistan Secretariat, which was started in the year 2014, needs Rs6.648 million, the official said adding that the project is almost complete.

The projects including procurement/construction of 6 maritime patrol vessels, development of training area and boundary wall for Survey Training Institute Islamabad, and National Electronics Complex of Pakistan are in progress as well, he added.

Dr Shireen Mazari during the meeting raised the point regarding inefficiency of Survey of Pakistan for not providing even a single correct map of the country on the internet. She said either there are American or Indian versions of Pakistani maps, adding the country lacks correct map wherein Azad Jammu & Kashmir is shown as a part of Pakistan.

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi also participated in the meeting. He pointed out that secretary defence had assured to the committee on 3rd March, 2016 that funds would be provided by the ministry for the development schemes in civil areas of Cantonment Board Havelian, but he did not honour his commitment. He also expressed great displeasure over this poor response by the ministry. Thereafter, the Additional Secretary-II, Ministry of Defence, also assured the committee that he will personally look into the matter and will inform the deputy speaker within one week. 

The meeting was also attended by MNAs Isphanyar M Bhandara, Surriya Asghar, Sardar Muhammad Shafqat Hayat Khan, Lt-Col Ghulam Rasul Sahi (retd), Saeed Ahmed Khan Manais, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Nawab Ali Wassan, Syed Mustafa Mehmud, Dr Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari, Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Sanjay Perwani and Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, and officers of the concerned ministry.