A Senate committee today voiced grave reservations over the substandard quality of repairs, execution of work without proper tendering, and significant project delays at the Parliament Lodges, prompting directives to overhaul the project”s oversight and payment mechanisms.

According to Senate office information, the Sub-Committee of the Senate House Committee, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, convened to assess the repair of existing residences and the construction of 104 new suites. Senators Poonjo Bheel, Hidayatullah Khan, Husna Bano, and Syed Waqar Mehdi were in attendance.

During the meeting, members raised alarms about payments being disbursed to contractors despite unsatisfactory performance. Senator Waqar Mehdi specifically cited issues with his residence (Lodge H-08), highlighting the absence of a functional firefighting system and generally poor maintenance conditions.

In response, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Director informed the panel that tenders for 69 lodges would soon be floated and 50-60 suites, including Lodge H-08, are slated for renovation. The CDA Chairman further briefed that Rs. 870 million in liabilities remain pending and a summary has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funds.

The committee issued strict directives, ordering that no further payments be made without a completion report signed by the residing Senator. It also mandated the inclusion of a warranty period for all works, the standardization of materials, the outsourcing of future repair tasks, and the formation of a dedicated monitoring committee to ensure quality.

Addressing the new construction, the Planning Commission reported that the project”s cost has already reached Rs. 7.8 billion. It warned that any alterations to the design could inflate the total expenditure to Rs. 10 billion. Consequently, the committee resolved that no design modifications would be permitted to avoid potential audit objections.

A physical inspection of the 104 new lodges has been scheduled for November 17th, where committee members, along with the project”s consultant and contractor, will review the construction progress on-site.

The committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and the timely completion of all projects associated with the Parliament Lodges.