HYDERABAD, Sept 13: Federal Communication Minister Mohammad Shamim Siddiqui has promised to review whether any change could be made in the government policy of awarding contracts of crucial projects to the National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and stressed the need to reforms the NHA.

He also disclosed that all existing projects, being executed by NHA are being referred for vetting once again, following the Northern bypass collapse.

He was speaking to journalists after performing ground-breaking ceremony of Construction Machinery Training Centre (CMTC) on the outskirts of the city here Thursday.

District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Taluka Latifabad Nazim Sabir Kaimkhani, Taluka City Nazim Javed Jabbar, DCO Aftab Khatri, NHA and other officials were also present.

He avoided commenting on preliminary findings of the inquiry into the Northern bypass tragedy in Karachi.

He said a team was entrusted to investigate the collapse and its findings would be completed in two weeks.

“We certainly own NHA, it is our organisation. Precious lives have been lost in the collapse of a section of the bypass, people who had confidence in NHA have started raising finger”, he remarked.

He said, NHA spends Rs40-Rs50 billion annually. “We shall now be looking for revamping and restructuring the NHA and its reforms so that such incidents could be avoided in future because in the days to come NHA will be spending more money, that is, Rs500 billion”, he said.

He admitted that crucial contracts are awarded only after negotiations to NHA and FWO under a government policy.

“We shall see whether any improvement can be made in this policy of contracts in the larger interest of people. We are examining on-going projects of NHA to re-vet them,” he said.

About CMTC he said its establishment at a cost of Rs500 million would lead to job opportunities to around 1,200 families directly and it would be completed in 24 months. He said FWO would control the CMTC.

Earlier, addressing a gathering at the Circuit House, the minister expressed his gratitude to District Nazim for allocating 25-acres lands to ministry of communication for the CMTC’s establishment.

He said the centre would be upgraded as Construction Technology Training Institute (CTTI) which was already working in Islamabad with the help of Japanese government. He said land had been acquired in Islamabad for 500-bed hostel.

He said people from Saarc countries, Malaysia and Indo-nesia are imparted training in this institute where 350 students are receiving training.

He said three years results showed that its diploma holders get jobs of Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 and mostly they opt for foreign countries.

He stated that in Islamabad around 2,700 students will be trained through short courses by 2007 in different fields.

In the Hyderabad’s institute, he said, Rs500 million would be spent initially and if needed more funds would be released by the ministry.

He said if the district government offers 25 acres of land to the ministry then first driving training institute of the country would be set-up here to be run by Motorway Police and NHA, jointly.

He said that in this institute the focus would be on those drivers who were driving on commercial basis.