ISLAMABAD, Apr 24 (APP): Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, has expressed serious concern over the unsatisfactory progress of ongoing projects undertaken by the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC).
He expressed his annoyance during a high-level performance review meeting convened to assess the current status and challenges facing the organization, said a press release issued on Thursday.
As a direct consequence of the minister’s queries and dissatisfaction, the NTDC Board has relieved several senior officials from their positions due to undue delays in projects execution.
Those removed from their respective roles and made Officers on Special Duty (OSD) include a Deputy Managing Director, two General Managers, the Chief Financial Officer, and three Chief Engineers, it further said.
Earlier this week, the federal minister had chaired a comprehensive review session on NTDC’s ongoing and upcoming projects, where he voiced deep concerns regarding inefficiencies and persistent delays.
He directed the NTDC Board to immediately launch a thorough inquiry to ascertain the root causes of the setbacks and to identify those responsible.
The Minister reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards delays in critical infrastructure and development projects, highlighting the substantial financial losses incurred due to inefficiencies – estimated in billions of rupees.
He emphasized the imperative of timely project delivery to ensure the integrity and reliability of the national transmission network.
During the review meeting, the NTDC Board also deliberated on organizational performance, identifying systemic weaknesses in project planning and execution. As a result, the Planning Wing—under the leadership of the Deputy Managing Director, the concerned General Managers, and the Chief Financial Officer—was held directly accountable and action was taken accordingly.
Furthermore, three Chief Engineers have also been relieved of their responsibilities on grounds of dereliction of duty.
The Managing Director has been directed to finalize within two weeks the assignment of accountability among the remaining relevant officers and staff and to initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings.
The Power Division remains committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in all power sector operations, in line with the government’s broader reform agenda, the press release said.