A Senate subcommittee has once again expressed serious concern over the Capital Development Authority’s continued failure to submit detailed records of development, repair and maintenance work carried out at Parliament Lodges over the past two years. The issue came under review during a meeting of the Subcommittee of the Senate House Committee, held at Parliament House and chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood.
The session was attended by Senators Danesh Kumar, Hidayatullah Khan and Jan Mohammad Buledi, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance and the CDA. The convener noted that despite repeated instructions, the CDA had not provided the committee with the required information, even though a prescribed pro forma had already been shared to standardise reporting.
Senators reiterated that all pending information must be submitted strictly according to the approved format. Senator Danesh Kumar stressed the importance of compliance, stating that accurate and complete data was essential for evaluating the performance and financial transparency of the CDA’s operations at Parliament Lodges. The committee directed that the missing details must be furnished during the next meeting scheduled for the last week of December.
During the briefing, officials provided an overview of a new framework agreement that aims to streamline repair and renovation procedures. The updated mechanism introduces a unified tendering process using standardised materials, enabling annual procurement in a single cycle and eliminating the need for multiple tenders for different items throughout the year.
The Ministry of Finance clarified that annual budget allocations are determined based on the average expenditure of the last three fiscal years, as reported by the CDA under the repair and maintenance head. Despite an enhanced budget already allocated to the Ministry of Interior and subsequently distributed to its attached departments, the committee noted ongoing CDA claims of funding shortages.
To resolve outstanding questions, the Interior Ministry proposed that the CDA chairman brief the committee on historical budget allocations and financial requirements for Parliament Lodges in the next meeting, slated for December 23.
