Sunday, September 27, 2020

Life with WAPDA (1984-2020) – Part 3 of 4

 

In Feb. 2012 I reported back to WAPDA. Mr. Muhammad Ali Shah, the then GM (C&M) Water who knew me very well offered three options for new posting to choose any one from; Central Contract Cell (CCC), Planning & Investigation Org. and GM (Central) office. I opted for the former and he advised me to visit him after a week to collect posting orders. When I went to collect the same after a week he cut a sorry face and said: Somehow we can’t place you in CCC, therefore, you must give us alternate option. I opted for P&I Org. Nevertheless, my inquisition in the matter revealed to me that postings in CCC were subject to clearance from someone influential with Authority. Since I didn’t take the “prescribed and well defined route” therefore my posting was stalled in CCC. Without lamenting it, I resumed my services in P&I Org. in the following week. Few months later I was promoted as Director (Civil) and retained with P&I Org. on the recommendations of Mr. Ashraf Abid, the then Chief Engineer (P&I). Mr. Abid had been my senior colleague when we started our service with WAPDA at Kalabagh Dam Project in 1984.

On joining P&I Org., I knew that one of our batch mates Mr. Bilal Karimi was working there but had never met him before. I visited his office and introduced myself. He was immediately on his feet and smilingly said: So, you are Mr. Pitafi, I heard a lot about you. I enquired: What did you know about me? He smiled again and said: I always ask my Sindhi friends that they don’t take their respective work seriously? In response they would say: Have you met Mr. Pitafi? Had you met him you would not have passed such a comment.

Working in P&I Org. was altogether a new experience. Planning and design of new water storage dams and hydropower projects was an interesting field. I was assigned to supervise consultancy services of design of Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project in addition to some other assignments. In July 2016 I was promoted as Chief Engineer and kept working there till Jan. 2018. In view of my (and my team along with consultants) excessive efforts in the preparation of bidding documents and initiation of the process of award of consultancy contract and award of work for construction of Mohmand Dam Project it was widely believed in WAPDA that I would be posted as GM/PD of this project. Besides, I was also tipped by most senior officers for becoming GM of Mohmand Dam Project. However, the competent authority had an entirely different idea and arrangement in his/their mind. Eventually I was promoted as General Manager and posted as GM Projects/Project Director, Northern Areas in Jan. 2018.

Only after assuming the charge of the position of GM (Projects) Northern Areas did I come to realization that how problematic this position was! All six contracts of 3-High Head Projects (two each of Allai, Duber and Khan Khwar respectively) needed to be closed down. Similarly, 3-High Head Consultancy Services contract was still intact whereas all hydropower plants were in operation since 2014. In addition, all contracts of Satpara Dam Project were also in dire need of closing. The civil contract of Keyal Khwar HPP was terminated in Dec. 2017 due to poor performance of the contractor and it required to be retendered again. Perhaps this was not enough when I further learnt that more than 200 Audit Paras (PDPs and DPs) needed to be defended at DAC and PAC level for settlement.

Next two and half years were not a smooth sailing at all, however, with the cooperation and efforts of my junior colleagues in the office we were able to conclude all six contracts of 3-High Head HPPs and 3-High Head Consultancy services contract with the approval of WAPDA Authority. Non-approval of 3rd Revised PC-I of Satpara Dam Project incl. Shatung Nullah Diversion thereby non-availability of PSDP funds is the major hurdle in conclusion of Satpara contracts.

 The most frustrating part of GMship is attending Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) and to some extent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings. In DAC meetings, the concerned GM/PD is treated as an “Accused” before some 20 judges to explain the justification of “Wrong Doing” by the incumbent or his predecessors, mostly it’s about predecessors’. In spite of providing all relevant details, explanations, proofs, DAC never agrees on settling the Proposed Draft Para (PDP) and digs out new queries and questions for furnishing revised reply and justification. In rare cases when DAC can’t find any more reasons to keep it pending PDPs are either put under ‘Verification mode” or changed into DPs and referred to PAC for decision when DAC has the power to settle PDPs at its own level.

Till 2018 the Draft Paras used to be defended in PAC by the respective Principal Accounting Officer (PAO) duly supported by WAPDA Authority. Now, concerned GMs are thrown into the arena for defending the DPs before the coveted forum. (Next...Part 4/4)


1 comment:

  1. Dear sir, your views regarding DAC are very true. Wapda authorities should be aware of that and devise some practical framework with DG Audit.

    ReplyDelete

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