Amid controversies and ongoing investigations, the government has sought an increase of more than 44 per cent in the previously-approved cost of the beleaguered Nandipur Power Plant.The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had approved an overall cost of Rs45 billion for the power plant on April 15 this year.Last week, the Northern Power Generation Company Limited (NPGCL) — a subsidiary of the power ministry that operates the much-touted plant — in its regulatory filings asked for the price to be increased to Rs65.35 billion ($693.6 million). Nepra has yet to give its determination on the request. This means the government faces an unenviable choice: let the Rs45 billion spent on the Nandipur Power Plant already go down the financial drain or spend another Rs20 billion in the hope that the project will finally become functional. Reports indicate that the judicial commission inquiry into the project will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, who has been offered the position after ex-Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid refused the offer. Over a month has passed since the government promised three separate inquiries into the failure of the Nandipur Power Plant. None of these has made any headway yet, except the project’s managing director having been reportedly sacked on Wednesday night. The NAB inquiry into the power project is set to work on its own mechanisms. The government’s approach to ‘fixing’ the problems in the Nandipur Power Plant seems to be all over the place. According to some reports, the government has decided to resolve the issue of the fuel treatment plant first. At the same time there is also talk that the government is planning to outsource the project for six months. Still others say the government will likely wait out the storm. There are multiple issues regarding the Nandipur Power Plant that require answers: dysfunctional machinery, outsourcing contracts to banned companies and ever escalating costs. Despite much turmoil and public humiliation over the plant’s failure, the government still remains committed to creating a smokescreen around the project and taking key decisions away from the public eye. That has caused many eyebrows to be raised, leading most to wonder if there has been criminal plundering of public funds into the wrong kind of equipment. The government would be well-advised to leave all decision-making aside until the inquiries into the project are concluded.
pk.shafaqna.com
