PM livid over negligence in construction of key hydel project
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday formed a committee to reactivate the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project, directing the relevant officials to complete investigation into its recent closure and identify those responsible for the defects in its design. While chairing a meeting at PM House during which a preliminary investigation report was presented, the prime minister expressed annoyance over the ‘criminal negligence’ committed in the past and ordered immediate completion of the probe and strict action against those found responsible for it. “Experts pointed out that there were defects in the design, concrete lining was not done, how unfortunate is that such a big and important project was neglected,” Mr Sharif said, while questioning why a detailed geological survey had not been conducted for the project. He remarked that ‘criminal negligence’ was committed by not conducting a third party validation of the project.