QUETTA:
The Senate Functional Committee on Less Developed Areas was informed on Monday that a number of National Highway Authority (NHA) employees posted in Balochistan had requested to be transferred to the federal capital due to the law and order crisis in the province.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Niaz Ahmed.
During the meeting, NHA officials revealed that employees posted in Balochistan were increasingly demanding to be transferred to Islamabad. The committee was informed that even employees domiciled in Balochistan were seeking transfer outside the province.
Senator Jan Muhammad proposed that all NHA employees be barred from traveling by air, while Senator Kumar noted that even employees domiciled in Balochistan were reluctant to serve in their own provinces.
NHA officials informed the committee that employees serving in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan receive additional hazard pay equal to 25% of their basic salary.
The committee was also informed that some employees domiciled in Balochistan were receiving the additional hazard allowance despite not serving in the province, which caused concern among members.
While briefing on the development budget of the current financial year, NHA officials informed the committee that 52 per cent of the authority’s development allocation had been earmarked for Balochistan, while 22 per cent had been allocated to Sindh.
Officials said no new projects were being introduced in Balochistan in the current financial year as priority was given to projects nearing completion. They added that there were no new projects in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa either, with the focus remaining on completion of ongoing projects.
Senator Kumar questioned whether the ongoing projects in KP would be completed in the current year under the existing allocation.
Planning Commission officials explained that the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) was prepared on a project basis rather than provincial allocations.
Senator Talha Mahmood observed that projects in more developed regions were completed faster than those in less developed areas. The committee was also informed about the strength of the NHA and sanctioned posts.
NHA officials informed members that 2,750 employees currently serve in the authority, which exceeds the authorized strength. They added that the authority was currently undergoing restructuring.
The committee has asked for a detailed report on the increase in project costs resulting from implementation delays. Chairman Senator Niaz Ahmed observed that political factors were also a major reason for delays and rising costs in development projects.
