ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Tuesday expressed concerns over delay in the completion of Islamabad jail project. The over Rs3.9 billion jail project was approved in 2016 and was expected to be completed in 2019. However, its PC-I was later revised and it still remains pending.

The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, which met at the Parliament House with Senator Nasir Mehmood in the chair, discussed the jail project in detail besides other agenda items.

During the course of the meeting, CDA’s member engineering updated the committee on the construction of the jail project.

The committee was informed that the initial PC-I cost of Rs3.9 billion had been revised to Rs7.4 billion, with Rs3.75 billion already allocated for construction.

It was told that 70 to 80pc of the admin block had been completed, while an additional Rs3.64 billion was required to finalise phase two of the project. The construction is expected to be completed by January 31, 2025.

It is relevant to note here that in May this year, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the chief commissioner visited the jail site to take stock of its construction. The interior minister had directed that the scope of PC-I be reduced to the extent of making the prison functional with a reduced capacity.

Accordingly, sources said a revised PC-I worth Rs7,399.122 million was approved. The revised PC-I includes barracks for 486 prisoners, a hospital, a kitchen, laundry, residences for staff and wardens and essential infrastructure.

Expressing serious concern over the delays, the committee chairman, Senator Nasir Mehmood, reminded that the CDA chairman had previously committed to completing the project by December.

The committee decided to summon the planning ministry to address funding gaps and remove obstacles hindering progress.

The chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) assured the committee that all issues within their jurisdiction had been resolved.

The chairman directed that all correspondence between PWD and CDA be shared with the committee and recommended inviting representatives from the interior ministry to the next meeting.

The committee also received a briefing on the directions issued on Oct 29 regarding journalist quota/plots in the FGEHA schemes.

The director from the information ministry reported that repairs under Phase I of the scheme were underway, with three categories already completed, and the remaining work was expected to be finalised within a month.

The director assured the members that a meeting with journalists had been scheduled for the following week. The committee recommended resolving the matter through mutual correspondence between the concerned parties.

Additionally, the matter related to expediting the litigation on remaining unacquired land was discussed.

The housing secretary assured the committee that litigation had been initiated by the high court, which was causing the delay. He emphasised that the ministry was committed to developing a proper model for investment, with proposals being made for various areas.

The committee also revisited the issue of allotment to a widow, previously discussed in an earlier meeting.

The housing secretary assured the members that the matter would be resolved in accordance with law.

In another matter, the committee reviewed the application submitted by director Abdul Sattar and Co. for the payment of the final bill concerning the establishment of a 200-bed centre of excellence for gynecology and obstetrics in Rawalpindi. It was decided that the SSC Health would be more appropriate to handle the matter than discussions in the current forum.

The poor condition of Qasr-i-Naz in Karachi was also brought to the committee’s attention. It was noted that not only one but six properties required inspection.

The committee unanimously decided to conduct an on-site visit to Qasr-i-Naz to gain a better understanding of its condition. The visit is planned for a date after Jan 3, 2025.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024