NHA staff shun postings in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Less Developed Areas was informed on Monday that a growing number of National Highway Authority employees posted in Balochistan have asked to be moved to Islamabad because of the province’s law and order situation.

The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Niaz Ahmed. During the session, NHA officials told lawmakers that transfer requests from staff serving in Balochistan had been increasing. The committee was also told that even some employees holding Balochistan domiciles wanted to leave postings in the province.

Senator Jan Muhammad proposed that all NHA employees should be stopped from travelling by air. Senator Kumar remarked that even officials belonging to Balochistan were unwilling to work in their own province. NHA representatives further told the committee that employees serving in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan receive an additional risk allowance equal to 25% of their basic pay.

Members also raised concern after being informed that some employees with Balochistan domiciles were drawing the extra risk allowance despite not being posted in the province.

Development allocations and ongoing schemes

While briefing the committee on the development budget for the current fiscal year, NHA officials said 52% of the authority’s development allocation had been set aside for Balochistan, while Sindh had been allocated 22%.

They said no new schemes were being launched in Balochistan in the current financial year because priority had been given to projects close to completion. The same approach, officials said, was being followed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where no new projects had been included and the focus remained on ongoing schemes.

Senator Kumar asked whether projects already under way in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be completed within the current year under the existing allocation. Planning Commission officials responded that the Public Sector Development Programme was prepared on a project basis rather than according to provincial shares.

Senator Talha Mahmood observed that development schemes in relatively developed regions were completed faster than those in less developed areas.

NHA staffing and project delays

The committee also received a briefing on the NHA’s sanctioned strength and current workforce. Officials told members that 2,750 employees were presently working in the authority, which is above its sanctioned strength. They added that the NHA was passing through a restructuring process.

The panel sought a detailed report on the rise in project costs caused by delays in implementation. Chairman Senator Niaz Ahmed said political factors were also a significant cause of delays and the resulting increase in development costs.