The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro, came down hard on federal and Sindh government officials on Friday over alleged mismanagement and lack of transparency in key public welfare projects, including the Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP), foreign-funded housing schemes, and multiple infrastructure contracts under the NTDC and CAREC framework.
The meeting, attended by Senators Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Falak Naz, Kamran Murtaza, Rahat Jamali, Kamil Ali Agha, Dr Afnan Ullah Khan, and Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, witnessed intense questioning and criticism of project implementations.
The Committee scrutinized the SSEP, under which solar systems are distributed to households consuming less than 100 units of electricity. While officials reported that 23,000 systems have been distributed out of a planned 200,000, Chairman Abro voiced concern over inconsistencies and lack of detailed financial breakdowns.
‘You are not giving a break-up of solar. The advertisements are running as if Sindh has been turned into Switzerland,’ he remarked, criticizing the communication around the project.
He also objected to the exclusion of the lowest-income households, particularly those using only 0-20 units of electricity who cannot afford the Rs6,000 upfront cost. ‘They are giving panels to the poor and also collecting taxes. Don’t give twenty panels to one house,’ Abro warned.
The Committee was told that 18 firms had participated in the bidding, with contracts awarded to three, including one Chinese firm. Abro questioned why a bid that increased from Rs10,000 to Rs32,000 per solar system was accepted without clarity on market rates and cost justifications.
Concerns were also raised over the payment of 10% consultancy charges to NGOs-far above the standard 2% in comparable government projects. The Committee directed the Project Director to submit quotations from major cities and a detailed breakdown of customs, taxes, and duties.
Senators took strong exception to the role of NGOs in both solar and housing schemes. ‘Is it now beyond understanding to put an NGO in the system?’ questioned Senator Kamil Ali Agha. The Committee questioned the accuracy of beneficiary lists, with allegations that some households had received multiple systems.
‘Don’t give solar systems to one household twenty times. Give them to those in real need,’ Abro said, demanding an official letter be issued to the Secretary Economic Affairs and Chief Secretary Sindh to verify beneficiary records.
The Committee also reviewed housing initiatives in Sindh, where Rs22 billion was allocated for 2.1 million homes. It was reported that Rs10,500 per unit was channeled through NGOs.
‘Is Rs22 billion a small amount?’ Chairman Abro asked. ‘How crafty these schemes are-designed to aid NGOs under the guise of public service.’ He demanded a 20-year record of the five NGOs involved, their contracts, and operational backgrounds. Officials from Sindh Peoples’ Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF) were notably absent, drawing further ire from the committee.
The 765kV Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Line Project also came under scrutiny for a possible Rs1.282 billion discrepancy. NTDC officials admitted that taxes had not been initially included in the Letter of Agreement but were added to the final contract-raising serious procedural concerns.
Senator Abro called for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate, summoning all members of the NTDC (National Transmission and Despatch Company) Board of Directors and demanding explanations for alleged violations of bidding norms.
On another front, the Committee revisited the ADB-funded ACSR Bunting Conductor project. NESPAK officials admitted bid evaluation errors that led to Lahore-based M/s Newage Cable Pvt. Ltd. being awarded the contract, despite allegedly never having manufactured the required material. The Committee demanded full documentation, including testing reports and payment records related to the project.
The Committee has directed all concerned departments to submit the required documentation and explanations at the next scheduled meeting.