By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: At the time when the whole country is in the grip of fiscal crisis owing to rampant corruption and inefficiency with 34 percent surge in unemployment, a classic example of utter bad governance in the Ministry of Water and Power has emerged that is eating up around Rs12 million per year just for nothing, but to appease a racket of officials in the name of creating a media cell.
According to an official document exclusively available with The News, the Ministry of Water and Power headed by its then secretary Shahid Rafi took this decision based on the argument that the present day’s activities of business, engineering and project implementation necessitate the availability of the services of media professionals to market the success, clinch new business and counter negative perceptions about the ministry and its lead organisations like National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak). When contacted, the then secretary Water and Power Shahid Rafi admitted he had created the media cell for media coordination as the power sector was facing multiple issues including power shortages and other problems, and it was mandated to sensitive the media persons about the ministry’s initiatives that were being taken to compact the chronic problems in the power sectors. When asked as to why he had forced Nespak to provide huge funding to the media cell officials, Rafi said if now Nespak felt that it was not able to continue to fund the cell because of the economic distress, it could halt its funding immediately by seeking the permission of the incumbent secretary.
“Shahid Rafi being the chairman of the Nespak board of director in its meeting held on August 17, 2009 had approved this irrational decision despite the fact that Nespak did not need any image building as it is purely a technical organisation, but Rafi, who was earlier information secretary, forcefully got approved this decision by Nespak board of directors just to appease the officials in the Information Ministry so that they could get hefty salaries and packages,” was the reaction of Nespak Managing Director Asad Khan when contacted by this reporter.
The creation of new media cell at the cost of huge tax payers money of Rs12 million was not justified particularly when the Water and Power Ministry had its own public relations officer which is still there, and Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and Wapda have also their separate well organised media offices and all are performing very well.
To a question, he said Pepco, NTDC and Nespak shared the burden of Rs12 million. The media cell was established on August 17, 2009 and the budget of Rs12 million was approved for 2009-10. The official documents unveil that the then secretary appointed his blue eyed in the Information Ministry, Nasir Jamal as a general manager (media) on April 30, 2009 and since then the huge increase in salary, privileges and perks of the Nespak GM is inflicting the loss of Rs12 million to three entities – Pepco, NTDC and Nespak.
When Nasir Jamal was contacted by this reporter and asked why he joined the Water and Power Ministry as the GM (media) on huge packages and what is his salary and perks and which institution he represents either Nespak, Pepco, or NTDC, he said: “Mr Khalid Mustafa do not become personal. I am just a government servant and wherever I am posted I serve there and I am regulated by 1973 Act. So you have no right to ask about my salary and other privileges and perks”. When asked if he had lobbied to get this post for massive salary, he said: “I am just an official of the Pakistan government and that’s it”. However, MD Nespak went on to say: “Since Nespak performs its function under the umbrella of the Water and Power Ministry, and the secretary is the chairman of BoD of Nespak, so we were left with no option but to accept the proposal of creating the media cell”.
“Nespak resisted the decision of the then secretary forcefully and it had written many letters to the Water and Power Ministry, opposing the creation of the media cell arguing that Nespak was not in a position to fund the media cell.” Asad Khan said it was the classic example of bad governance that was devouring Rs12 million per year. He said Nespak would welcome if the incumbent secretary water and power abolished this media cell as Nespak was no more in a position to provide the huge funding. “Right now the country is experiencing massive economic crisis owing to which Nespak business is also being affected. Although Nespak is still a profitable entity, but even then economic pressure and distress is there.” “The Supreme Court has sought the details of the reappointments of retired officials in Nespak including the appointments on contracts and we are right now finalising the details to this effect that will be submitted to the apex court,” he divulged.
To a question, he said there was an audit para also which had severe objections to the creation of media cell. The Audit para says the creation of the media cell is tantamount to wastage of money of Rs12 million and in case Supreme Court seeks more information, then we may provide the information about creation of the media cell along with the finding of the audit para.
Source: The News
Date:2/8/2011
