MD Nandipur power project sacked

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water and Power has sacked Captain (retd) Muhammad Mehmood as the Managing Director of the Nandipur power project after he denied signing the deal with EPC contractor Dong Fong to operate the project under the head of operation and maintenance for six months.
Chief Engineer Muzaffargarh Power Plant Muhammad Tariq has been asked to serve as acting managing director of the Nandipur Power Company. The step has been taken on the recommendations of the board of directors of Genco-3, a senior official told The News.
Muhammad Mehmood was decorated with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his ‘untiring work’ as MD Nandipur Power Company on the recommendation of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. He was a Grade-19 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service and had been working in the agriculture and horticulture department before his appointment as the chief of the Nandipur Power Company.
The top officials said that the board of directors of Nandipur Power Company Limited had recommended his sacking from the office of MD after he failed to operate the power plant.
“He basically refused to sign any document relating to an agreement with Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor Dong Fong which upset the Water and Power Ministry,” a senior official of the ministry said, adding that he wanted the chief of Genco-3 to sign the deal with the Chinese firm Dong Fong.
Zafar Yab Khan, Deputy Secretary of Administration and spokesman for the Ministry of Water and Power, was inaccessible as his cell phone was found switched off. Younas Dagha, Secretary of Ministry of Water and Power, did not pick up the phone when this scribe time and again called him.
Earlier, the board of directors of the Genco-3 decided that the Chinese EPC contractor — Dong Fong will be assigned to run the project for six-month period and in the meanwhile the company, which is to operate and maintain the project, will be selected through ICB ensuring transparency in awarding the contract.
To this effect, the board of directors issued a notification heralding that the Nandipur power project will not be handed over to any company without holding the ICB. Unless and until the company is selected through competitive bidding process, the Dong Fong company, which has installed the plant, will run it and the said Chinese company will also train Pakistan manpower.