NHA faced with paucity of funds, Senate body told   

Senate’s Standing Committee on Communication, which met with Prince Ahmad Umar in the chair on Thursday, was told by the National Highway Authority (NHA) officials that although they had completed paperwork for the repair of roads devastated by last year’s floods, still they were unable to start work due to paucity of funds, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The committee was told that floods had wreaked havoc in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

It was informed that infrastructure in these areas was completely destroyed.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha asked the NHA officials whether the Authority did not receive a single penny for the purpose.

The officials replied that they had not received the amount sufficient to start work.

They said the toll tax they received fulfilled only some of their needs.

They complained that they had not received money from the Center even for temporary construction of the roads.  

They disclosed that the Authority already owed Rs3 trillion to different departments.  

They told the meeting that they received loans, not funds, under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The committee chairman ordered the Ministry of Finance, Planning and NHA officials to attend Senate body’s next meeting.