ISLAMABAD - Minister of State for Communication, Dost Muhammad Mazari, on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that estimated rehabilitation cost of roads being used by Nato containers is $1500 million.
Responding to a supplementary question here in the Lower House during question hour, the minister told the House that proposal regarding recovery of estimated claims of damages and levy of tax as infrastructure usage from Nato has been submitted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To another question Mazari informed that earlier the government was taking a routine amount of road tax from Nato however they have now decided to get $2500 per container.
To another supplementary question regarding delay in various projects, the minister said that the ministry was facing acute shortage of funds, besides the poor law and order situation was also a hurdle in the completion of projects. He, however, said that ministry was trying to recover from the financial crunch being faced due to lack of funds.
He informed the House that NHA has planned construction of Motorway-4 in five packages out of which the progress work on Faisalabad-Gojra is about 15 per cent while 1 per cent progress was on Khanewal-Multan package. He also assured the House that the M-9 project would also be started after July this year.
Federal Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin while responding to a question regarding re-establishing and renaming devolved ministries to provinces by the federal government said that some functions of the ministries that were devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment were still with Federation and the government has established some ministries to regulate those functions. He said that health and the functions of drug regulations were handed by federation in whole world.
To another question regarding non-delivery of BISP funds to people in Karachi, the minister said that the matter was not in his knowledge and he would convey it to the concerned authority to look into the matter.
Meanwhile Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi also remarked that the people have reservations on the involvement of Post offices in distribution of BISP money to people.
Minister of State for National Food Security and Research Muazzam Ali Jatoi informed the House that Pakistan during last three years have imported 879 ton of meat from India beside .001 percent was exported to other countries. He informed that Pakistan was exporting animals to Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Iran, Afghanistan, Oman and Bahrain.
Minister Incharge of the Cabinet Division meanwhile informed the National Assembly in a written reply that one percent quota was reserved for the journalists for plots and flats in the sector I-15 and around 47 plots out of 55 were given to journalists. He further stated that 07 journalists were allotted flats but they exchanged their flats with plots.
Earlier, MQM staged token walkout, as they were not allowed to take up discussion on Bhoja Airline incident. The Deputy Speaker was of the view that the debate may take up after the question hour. However Deputy Speaker sent Minister for IT Raja Pervez Ashraf to MQM who brought them back to the House. The House meanwhile also offered Fateha for those died in the Bhoja Airline crash, killed in Lahore Railway Station blast and for the father of MNA Robina Qaim Khani. The House also prayed for the safe recovery of soldiers trapped in Siachin.