Menghi Dam Project Cost Soars to Over 18 Billion Rupees, PAC Orders Investigation into Delays and Mismanagement

Quetta:The long-delayed Manghi Dam project, designed to provide water to Quetta, has seen its completion timeline pushed back by over two years, with costs escalating far beyond initial estimates. The project, which was originally set to be completed by 2022, has now reached a staggering cost of 18 billion rupees, up from its initial budget of 9.33 billion rupees. This has raised serious concerns about the project’s management and accountability.

On Monday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly held a meeting to discuss the financial audit of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department for the fiscal year 2022-23. The session, chaired by PAC Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen, was attended by various committee members, including MPA Ghulam Dostgir Badini, MPA Mir Zareen Khan Magsi, Accountant General Balochistan Nasrullah Jan, Director General Audit Shuja Ali, Secretary PHE Imran Gachki, and other senior officials.

During the meeting, concerns were raised regarding the prolonged delays in the Manghi Dam project, which was initially scheduled for completion in 2022. Despite the extended deadline, the project remains incomplete, with costs ballooning from 13.2 billion rupees in 2022 to 18 billion rupees in 2024. The PAC expressed alarm over the lack of progress and attributed the delays to departmental inefficiency. Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen directed the Director General of Audit to conduct a special inquiry within 15 days and identify the responsible parties to hold them accountable.

The committee also addressed several other issues in the PHE’s financial operations. Notably, concerns were raised about poor budget planning, with nearly 1 billion rupees remaining unspent out of the allocated 16.5 billion rupees for the fiscal year 2021-22. The PAC criticized the department for repeated budget lapses and instructed the PHE to implement better financial systems.

In addition to the Manghi Dam project, the committee discussed several instances of financial irregularities, including 64.13 million rupees in unauthorized payments for various works, and 32.05 million rupees paid without proper tenders. The PAC stressed the importance of adhering to Balochistan’s Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (BPPRA) rules and demanded the recovery of funds from contractors involved in irregular payments.

The meeting also reviewed a previous decision made in January 2023 to recover 20.7 million rupees, which has yet to be collected. The PAC instructed that this amount be recovered and deposited into the national treasury within 15 days, in line with earlier PAC decisions.

During the session, committee members, including MPA Mir Zareen Khan Magsi, highlighted that the inefficiency and mismanagement of public funds have caused significant harm to the public. The PAC resolved to take strict action against those responsible for negligence and mismanagement in the execution of projects.

In conclusion, the PAC reiterated its commitment to ensuring the effective use of public funds and holding officials accountable for any irregularities or delays in government projects. The committee has asked the Director General of Audit to submit a detailed report on the issues discussed within the designated time frame and emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability in Balochistan’s public sector projects.