Bus Rapid Transit probe continues despite bank declaring project ‘transparent’

• The companies involved in the project were shortlisted by the Asian Development Bank, which recently declared the project “transparent”
• The National Accountability Bureau probe has raised concerns among suppliers of raw materials, hampering work on the project

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned nine officials from several departments in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province to give their expert opinions on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Peshawar city, amid allegations of misappropriation. An investigation was ordered after the expected cost of the project soared from Rs49 billion to Rs68 billion
The companies involved in the project were shortlisted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which recently declared the project “transparent.”
ADB external relations officer Ismail Khan said the bank had not received any complaints of corruption or mismanagement relating to the BRT project.
“The pre-feasibility and feasibility reports, engineering design and all changes and costs have been approved by the ADB," he said. "This is why, during a recent meeting in Islamabad, we declared the BRT project as transparent.”
The construction project is being managed by the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), he added. It was inaugurated on October 19, 2017, and work began on December 24. It is due to be completed by the end of October this year.
“Other such projects in the country have taken more than a year to complete but we are trying to complete Peshawar BRT within one year,” Khan added.
Expressing concern over ongoing NAB investigation, he said: “The inquiry is hampering work on the project because suppliers of raw materials such as sand, iron and others are apprehensive when they think it is being probed.”
He said the bank is cooperating with the bureau and hopes the watchdog will give a clean bill of health to the project.
Salma Begum, the NAB's deputy director in Peshawar, said that the bank's declaration of transparency would have no bearing on the investigation.
“Our inquiries are independent and investigations are underway,” she said. "The bureau has received the requisite documents from PDA and has also summoned nine experts from various departments to help with the inquiry.”
Noman Manzoor, a spokesman for TransPeshawar, which will operate the BRT system under construction by PDA, said that they already have one prototype bus and a total of 220 buses will be provided.
“TransPeshawar will be responsible for operation and maintenance of the BRT once it is operational," he added, reiterating that the PDA is solely responsible for construction work.
Rumurs of an investigation into the BRT project began after the last meeting of the former Khyber Pakhtunkwa cabinet, on May 24, during which it was announced that the expected cost had increased from Rs49 billion to Rs68 billion due to changes in its design and the adjustment of funds from the ADB.
On July 19, Peshawar High Court was petitioned by Amanullah Haqqani, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur Rahman, to investigate the project. The court ordered the NAB to submit a report by September 5.