Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: A one day capacity building awareness workshop for Principal Accounting Officers/Heads of Departments of Government of Sindh was organized by the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) with the collaboration of Assessment Strengthening Program-RSPN on February 11, 2015 at local Hotel Karachi. The workshop was attended by senior officers of Sindh Government including Mr. Subhan Memon, Chairman Chief Minister’s Inspection & Evaluation Team and officers from Finance, Excise & Taxation, Governor’s Secretariat, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Irrigation, Works & Services Department, Local Government, Sindh Insurance and other organization / departments working under the Government of Sindh.
In the opening remarks, Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Provincial Coordinator ASP PPO Sindh highlighted the importance of workshop. Mr. Nazar Rathore, Director Capacity Building, ASP CPO Islamabad informed the participants about various initiatives of the ASP funded by the USAID. Mr. Sajid Jamal Abro, Managing Director-SPPRA appreciated the participation of Principal Accounting Officers and their nominees for attending the workshop. He highlighted the importance of such capacity building workshops in removing difficulties in compliance of the SPP Rules. He also thanked ASP-RSPN for extending support in capacity building plan under which two day workshops will follow at divisional headquarters at Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur & Larkana. He further informed regarding the future initiatives by the SPPRA in collaboration with donors which include establishment of Procurement Performance Management System (PPMS), E-Procurement, and Certification program for officers/officials dealing with procurements. He also said that the SPPRA was also working on amendments of the rules for removing difficulties without compromising on fairness, transparency, efficiency, economy and value for money. He said that so far 3403 persons have been trained by the SPPRA and more than 58 workshops have been conducted with assistance of various donors/organizations and on its own.
The workshop was conducted by two procurement specialists Mr. Arab Shaikh and Mr. Ali Imam Qadri. The session was interactive and issues related to procurement process were thoroughly discussed and clarified by the specialists. At the end of the workshop certificates were awarded to the participants.
5 MEDICAL STORES SEALED, ONWERS ARRESTED
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: On the directives of Deputy Commissioner Karachi West Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, the Additional Deputy Commissioner-1Syed Shujaat Hussain, alongwith AC Site Abdul Jabbar Shahani and THO Site Dr. Aziz Baloch a conducted raid at Metroville Site Sub Division and sealed 5 medical stores and arrested quacks/owners of medical stores. The arrested owner are Barkat Ali of Osama Dental Clinic, M.Akhtar of Dr. Ghazala Qamer Diagnostic Centre, Syed Asim Rehman of Sehar Hospital, Syed Ali of Bismillah Medical Store and M. Shafiq of New Metroville Medical Store and an FIR bearing No.77/2015 under section 419/269/34 PPC at Police Station SITE-A has been registered.
5528 ACRES LAND ALLOTTED TO GENERATE 100 MW WIND POWER IN THATTA DISTRICT
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Land Lease Agreement for allotment of 5528 acres were signed with two Wind Power Companies Gul Ahmed Wind Power Limited and Tenega Generasi Limited today at Energy Department, Government of Sindh. Both the companies will provide 100 MW wind power by the end of September 2016 through Clean and fuel free resource. The projects will bring direct investment of US$ 247 million in Sindh and create substantial job opportunities.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Secretary Energy Agha Wasif Abbas anad other senior officials. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary Energy Department Agha Wasif Abbas informed that Government of Sindh is actively facilitating project developers to mitigate energy crisis. During the last few months, seven companies have been awarded final lease Agreements. He informed all the project development agreements including financial arrangements have been signed and the physical construction will start from April 2015. He said that Gul Ahmed Wind Power has been allotted 647 acres in Jhampir Wind corridor and the company will install 25 state of the art German Wind Turbines of 2.5 MW each. The project will generate 158 GWhs per annum from 2016 to 2036 Gul Ahmed group will finance 55%, while 35% will be financed by a Singapore based Development Company and 10% by the International Financial Corporation (IFC).
Secretary Energy further said that Tenaga Generasi Limited will install 31 tubines of 1.6 MW made by General Electric and will be installed in Taluka Mipur Sakro, with an investment of 120 million USD. The annual energy output of the project will bee 134.42 GWh. financing has been committed by Overseas Private Investment Corporation of USA and International Finance Corporation (IFC).
SSGC’ Surveillance and monitoring team attacked by miscreants in Jacobabad
Gas utility facing hardships in combating gas theft
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: A team of Sui Southern Gas Company that went to disconnect illegal gas connections was attacked by unknown armed miscreants in Osto Bhaley Dino village of Jacobabad. A senior SSGC engineer was also made hostage by the attackers.
According to the details, SSGC team comprising of officers and workers of Customer Relations, Distribution Maintenance and Surveillance and Monitoring departments of Larkana and Jacobabad were engaged in gas theft survey job in various adjoining villages of Jacobabad Dirtict. On February 12, 2015, after completion of task, at 7:10pm, the SSGC employees were gathering near Muzzamil Fuel Station at the outskirts of village Osto Bhaley Dino to move on to Larkana office. Suddenly about 40 to 50 armed culprits well equipped with Klashenkovs and guns attacked SSGC staff. Some of SSGC employees managed to escape but a senior engineer Abdul Hameed Memon of Distribution department Larkana could not succeed to escape and was badly beaten by those culprits. Later on they took him as hostage.
SSGC’s escaped officers immediately rushed to the nearby deputed Rangers check post and reported the incident. Meanwhile, the concerned officials of SSGC’s Security Services Department also made contacts with the Rangers authorities for rescuing SSGC’s officer. Rangers took immediate action and quickly reached at the incident place and managed to recover the hostage, SSGC engineer Abdul Hameed who was badly beaten.
It may be noted, that SSGC received information that huge volume of gas was being stolen in Moladad, Sheeran Poor, and Osto Bhaley Dino villages of Jacobabad. On the directives of Senior General Manager (Customers Services), the local SSGC authorities conducted a detailed gas theft detection survey and subsequent disconnections in the said villages. The SSGC team disconnected various illegal connections, which were found using gas illegally. The attack of armed culprits on SSGC crew occurred just after completion of the said survey.
The concerned SSGC departments are fully involved in detection of illegal un-metered usage of gas, throughout the franchise areas in Sindh and Balochistan provinces to overcome the menace of UFG (Un-accounted for gas). The gas utility is facing huge losses due to such un-metered usage of gas. FIA authorities are also helping SSGC in catching the culprits.
SSGC Management Taking effective steps to improve gas pressure
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: As a result of curtailed gas supply from Bhit and Naimat Basal gas fields, an overall shortfall of 40 mmcfd has been recorded in SSGC’s system. Due to this shortage, the supplies of SSGC have also effected and the utility has been receiving calls from Karachi city and interior Sindh, complaining of low gas pressure.
SSGC’s management putting its all efforts to improve the supply situation has taken immediate effective steps to improve gas pressure. In this regards gas supplies to power generation companies i.e. KE and WAPDA have been curtailed to improve the gas pressures.
Moreover it has been decided that gas supply to all CNG stations in Sindh would remain discontinued on Friday, February 13, 2015. All CNG stations in Sindh will remain open on Saturday, February 14, 2015.
It is anticipated that SSGC’s off take will improve by tomorrow as the gas supplies from Bhit and Naimat Basal gas fields are expected to return to normal. SSGC’s management is concerned on this situation and regrets the inconvenience caused to its worthy customers due to this short supply of gas.