Rana Tassaddiq Hussain
ISLAMABAD: National High Authority (NHA} facing mis-management, malpractices and corruption in all sectors of the authority. One of the national strategic assessts and controlling,management Authority of countrys’ communication is in the hands of inefficient, irresponsible and incompetent and corrupt people.
Present chief of the authority and highups of the Communication Ministery are also involved in mismanagement, plundering of national exchequer without any fear of accountability.
The history of corruption and mismanagement in NHA have long history. But during present tenure NHA make new records.
NHA was formed by the act of parliament to make it self-sufficient in financial matters in CHAPTER III POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE AUTHORITY (xiii) Raise funds (local and foreign) through borrowing, floating of bonds, sharing or leasing of assets or any other means, from time to time; was inducted.
Since 1991 present Chairman is 23rd who is posted but unfortunately almost every Chairman including present Chairman Khurram Agha (who is also acting Secretary of Communication never gone through the NHA Act and “Regulatory Framework & SOP of NHA
Letter by Board of Revenue, Punjab to various DC (Revenue) about Handing Over/Taking over for exemption from the transfer of ownership fee in favour of NHA by Deputy Secretary (Assessment) Board of Revenue Punjab, Ref no. 159-2003/85-LR dated 15-02-2003
But the Government of Punjab during a Cabinet meeting decided to Cancel the Mutation of NHA within Punjab and issued, Letter Ref No.1059 -2004/46 LR-1 dated 10-01-2005 of the Secretary (Revenue)Board of Revenue Punjab to District Revenue officers of Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Sahiwal, Rahim YarKhan, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikupora, Gujrat Jhelum, and Rawalpindi, You are directed to ensure that all mutations of ownership sanctioned in favour of the National Highway Authority are immediately cancelled and ownership of Provincial Government is restored in these cases.
Later for unknown reasons Letter by the Government of Pakistan Ministry of Communication “Decision Taken in the Cabinet meeting held on 27th September 2006, all the fresh leases under process……….
Total Length of N-5(G.T Road ) is 1819km from Karachi South end to Torkhum North, out of which 1021 Km Right of Way is located within Punjab, therefore, the entire Revenue which was to be collected by NHA As per SOP, NHA has to affect recovery from established Amenities from 1999 to date, which is almost 20 years of Revenue @ 7% notified by DCO land value from established amenities facilities on N-5, Minimum Rs. 20,000 per Amenities amounts to Billions The NHA (ROW) had to inventories all assets alongside Right Of Way as per instructions of Economic Coordination Committee in 2009.
According to regional offices, there are more than 70,000 Filling/ CNG Stations and Thousands of other amenities established within OR outside Right of Way(ROW) such as Hotels, Factories, Plazas, Marriage Halls, Bus Stops, Show Rooms Nurseries etc. All these amenities were never regularized by Right of Way.
From Amenities on both sides of N-5 since 2005 is not collected which amounts to more than Rs.400 Billion
Loss of billions to the Exchequer due to insufficient performance & Cancellation of Mutation within Punjab, despite the favourable decision for NHA in W.P 898/2005 Decision of Punjab Government was set aside but NHA officials deliberately never provided back up (Brief of Finance Wing of NHA) dated 9-07-2007
The non-existence of Internal accountability made Deputy Director (ROW) level officers set aside decisions made Minutes of meeting related to Ground Rental Charges of Lease Land by Federal Minister Communication, Chairman NHA, Additional Secretary MOC and confirmation of the decision that “Ground Rental Charges will be effective on handing over possession of Land to Leaseholders dated
13-07-2007.
(WORLD TRIBUNE,will publish and unearth corruption and mismanagement in NHA. If NHA have clarification regarding our news story we are ready to publish NHA version.)
