Nandipur Project: Muhammad Mehmood removed as Tariq Bhatti appointed new MD
The project's termination and financial irregularities were highlighted by Dunya News.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Nandipur Power Project’s earlier Managing Director (MD) Muhammad Mehmood was removed from office on Wednesday as Tariq Bhatti was appointed at his place. The project’s termination and financial irregularities were highlighted by Dunya News after which Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif handed over the commercial audit of the project to the international audit firm Ferguson. The report is still to be submitted; however the Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali ordered the removal of Mehmood and issued the notification of Bhatti as the new MD.
Mehmood while talking to Dunya News stated that the removal from designation before the investigation was complete is an unconstitutional move and he was given no prior notification of such an act. Mehmood also stated that he was being pressurized to hand in his resignation.
Captain (Retd) Muhammad Mehmood, a grade 19 officer of Pakistan Horticulture Authority (PHA) was appointed as the MD of the project earlier. The project, however, halted after the second day of completion.
The government only rose from its slumber after the issue of Nandipur Project was highlighted by Dunya News and the truth exposed during the show “Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath” revealing how a Rs. 22 billion project started during the government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was completed at a cost of Rs. 84 billion during the time of the present Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government.
Work began on the Nandipur Power Project, a 425 MW combined cycle thermal plant, back in 2008 when the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) signed a contract with the Chinese Dong Fang Electric Corporation. However the project suffered due to mismanagement and work was halted in September 2012. The project was restarted by the current government in 2013 with an escalated price tag on the project blamed on the shortcomings of the previous government. PM Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the first turbine of the plant on 31st May 2014 however work came to a grinding halt again as the project was once again plagued by mismanagement and suffered technical negligence such as use of inappropriate fuel.
The project was once again started in July 2015 but financial mismanagement, technical difficulties, negligence and lack of any checks and balance system have been its constant companion causing the project to take a heavy toll on finances.
