ISLAMABAD - To preempt chances of alleged massive corruption in the LED project, the National Accountability Bureau(NAB) has directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) to scrape the project strictly in the light of its recommendations.
The NAB under its preventative policy proposed to CDA to prepare a new proposal in the light of inputs by a consultant of international repute as a host of newer and cheaper techniques are available in the market.
Sources in the NAB informed that after having briefing on the LED project by CDA officials, the former had raised some 22 objections on the deal. NAB took up the matter after there was hue and cry in media and else where about the dubious way the whole Rs. 6.5 billion project is being proceeded with.
NAB officials gave a clear-cut instructions to the civic body that the of non-compliance on their part could attract punitive provisions of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
It is pertinent to mention here that all the concerned departments in the matter including PEPRA, the Cabinet Division and Planning Commission of Pakistan had raised serious objections on the project envisaged by CDA to replace all the existing streetlights with LED lights with the estimated cost of Rs. 6.5 billion.
It is also interesting to note that a few weeks back Philips Electric Company, known to be the pioneer in the field of LED lights, had offered CDA that they would accomplish the project within Rs. 2 billion instead of Rs. 6.5 billion but the civic body kept mum and never responded to company’s letter.
In the meanwhile the project was challenged in the Islamabad High Court and petitioner has prayed to the court to stop CDA from squandering and plundering the public money, as the civic body would suffer a massive loss of billions in this dubious deal.
The sources in the government informed that some influential people in Pakistan People’s Party were behind the whole deal and despite the serious objections on the project by the Cabinet Division and Planning Commission certain forces in the government were pushing it through obviously for their personal gains in the dubious deal.
These sources further said that even the Transparency International has raised serious objections on the project and also questioned the rates on which it is being doled out to an unknown company but the people at the helms of affairs were unmoved and the whole exercise is pushed forward in the face of all objections.
Under the deal, the civic body was to pay Rs. 1.2 billion, 25 per cent of the whole sum, while initially Asian Development Bank had expressed its willingness to provide rest of amount as loan.
But later in 2011 when the bidding for the project was executed Asian Development Bank backed out to extend loan facility on the ground that the bidding was not conducted in transparent fashion.
In the meanwhile taking notice of the massive irregularities in the whole exercise NAB took notice and halted the civic body to proceed further with strict direction to the CDA to have consultation from some reputed firm on the whole affair.