News Detail
Event Title: A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning Development and Special Initiatives was held on Thursday at Parliament House.Chaired by Senator Atta ur Rehman
Event Date: 2022-12-01
The meeting was attended by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Saadia Abbasi, Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhary, Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, Senator Dost Muhammad, Senator Hidayat Ullah, and senior officers from the Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, along with all concerned.
The meeting commenced with a detailed review of foreign aid received by Pakistan for flood relief activities. The Committee was informed that development partners had extended financial and in-kind foreign assistance to Pakistan for flood relief activities that include grants and loans. The Committee while reviewing the details of the received foreign aid stressed the need for a transparent and cogent system for the delivery of assistance to flood victims. The Committee was informed that the Benazir Income Support Programme was being used for the disbursement of aid to flood victims. A post assessment report has been completed and will be used as an outline for the rehabilitation plan that will be shared with teh Cabinet for approval.
Deliberating over the damages caused by the floods to Mohmand Dam, the Committee was informed that once completed the Dam will be able to regulate floods mitigating the risk of flooding in low lying areas in Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera districts.
While briefing the Committee on amendments in PPRA rules to ensure maximum transparency and efficiency, the Committee was informed that PPRA has been continually trying to remove all unnecessary hurdles in the way of development projects. The Committee was further informed that the standard of awarding a contract to the lowest bidder has been changed and now the standard is the most advantageous bidder. The Committee in general and Senator Saadia Abbasi in particular stressed the need for doing away with PPRA rules, for what we need quality projects instead of low cost projects. The Committee unanimously agreed to the proposal of Senator Saadia Abbasi and recommended that a meeting with the Prime Minister should be arranged so that further transparency and improvements are introduced in awarding contracts for various development projects. It was also recommended that the problems of the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also be taken up in the meeting with the Prime Minister.
The meeting commenced with a detailed review of foreign aid received by Pakistan for flood relief activities. The Committee was informed that development partners had extended financial and in-kind foreign assistance to Pakistan for flood relief activities that include grants and loans. The Committee while reviewing the details of the received foreign aid stressed the need for a transparent and cogent system for the delivery of assistance to flood victims. The Committee was informed that the Benazir Income Support Programme was being used for the disbursement of aid to flood victims. A post assessment report has been completed and will be used as an outline for the rehabilitation plan that will be shared with teh Cabinet for approval.
Deliberating over the damages caused by the floods to Mohmand Dam, the Committee was informed that once completed the Dam will be able to regulate floods mitigating the risk of flooding in low lying areas in Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera districts.
While briefing the Committee on amendments in PPRA rules to ensure maximum transparency and efficiency, the Committee was informed that PPRA has been continually trying to remove all unnecessary hurdles in the way of development projects. The Committee was further informed that the standard of awarding a contract to the lowest bidder has been changed and now the standard is the most advantageous bidder. The Committee in general and Senator Saadia Abbasi in particular stressed the need for doing away with PPRA rules, for what we need quality projects instead of low cost projects. The Committee unanimously agreed to the proposal of Senator Saadia Abbasi and recommended that a meeting with the Prime Minister should be arranged so that further transparency and improvements are introduced in awarding contracts for various development projects. It was also recommended that the problems of the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also be taken up in the meeting with the Prime Minister.