SC issues notices to Awan, Chishti in power projects delay case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has issued notices to former law minister Babar Awan and secretary Masood Chishti in power projects delay case, Geo News reported. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard a petition of PML-N's Khawaja Muhammad Asif against delaying of Nandipur and Chichokimallian power projects. The court was told that an unrecoverable loss of Rs113 billion has been incurred to the national exchequer due to the delays. The CJ expressed anger over absence of Secretary of Finance. During the hearing, the petitioner contended that both the projects were not accomplished well in time due to delay in issuance of ‘Bill of Lading’ from the concerned authorities and this is causing annual loss Rs 62 billion no the national kitty. The CJ remarked that according to a commission report these projects were to be completed in 2011 but the negligence has cost the nation Rs 113 billion. 'The people are protesting against the loadshedding.' Justice Jawwad S Khawaja noted that the law ministry bosses kept the files under the carpet for one year, how would we overcome this loss. Tariq Rahim, counsel for Ministry of Water and Power and Ministry told the bench that law ministry is responsible for it adding the ECC would take up the matter in its next meeting. The court, in its order, asked the Secretaries of the Ministry of Water and Power and Ministry of Finance to explain in a joint statement as to why ‘Bill of Lading’ for the machinery and equipment were not issued. Later, the hearing was adjourned till 20th June.