LAHORE: Despite spending RS 108.576 million, Punjab Mines and Minerals Department could not strengthen the Mines Sample Testing Laboratory in Khushab, Pakistan Today learnt reliably.
According to an official of the mines department, the said laboratory was set up by the Punjab government in 1983 and at that time the cost of setting up this laboratory was more than RS 3.97 million. Initially, however, the laboratory was equipped with non-digital and manually operated devices to monitor underground mine ventilation.
The official added that with the passage of time, as the technology innovated, all the available equipment in the lab had either become outdated/out lived; that’s why it was the need to not only strengthen the available resources in the existing setup, but add more facilities of sample testing.
He informed that in this regard the Departmental Development Sub Committee (DDSC) in a meeting held in September 2016 approved the project of strengthening the said lab at a cost of RS 98.106 million with the gestation period of 24 months.
However, according to the project documents (available with this scribe), in Fiscal Year 2016-17, there was no allocation of funds in the Capital component, due to which the building department could not award the work order.
During FY 2017-18 when funds in capital component were released the Building Department requested to revise the rate of capital work on the basis of plinth area rate of 2nd Bi-annual 2017-18 and also enhanced the gestation period that’s why the project was revised at cost RS 99.084 million with gestation period 30 months,
The documents revealed that the project gestation period and cost were revised four times as the Finance Department did not release funds in time whereas the project 4th revised cost was RS 101.754 million with revised gestation period of 54 months i.e September 29, 2016 to December 31, 2020.
According to the documents, the actual expenditure of the project remained RS 108.576 million against the release amount of RS 110.348 million which reflects 98.39 percent of financial utilization over release.
As per the documents, the main objectives of the laboratory were to collect samples of the underground mine environment to forecast possible hazards and calculate mine ventilation as well as to monitor and evaluate the site environment.
The laboratory’s objectives were also to provide guidance to mine owners as well as workers on how to control or prevent occupational hazards.
Similarly, it was also included in the objectives to assist the affected workers for the future environment and teaching /training of mine workers especially in skill courses to use the equipment for improving the working environment.
The Directorate General of Monitoring and Evaluation (DG&ME) Punjab recently evaluated the project and declared it a partial success. However, the DG&ME also wrote its observations regarding the project in the report which stated, “As per PC-IV of the project, the total planned amount under the head of machinery and equipment was stated RS 77.568 million which incorrect. The actual year wise sum of the same shown amount of RS 77.9 million”.
Further, the report said, the approved cost of PC-I was RS 101.754 million whereas, on the basis of correct calculation it rises to RS 102.086 million. Department needs to justify. As per expenditure statement provided by the department, the total allocations of the project were RS 114.249 million against the PC-I phasing of RS 102.082 million.
“The department needs to justify over allocation against PC-I phasing. It is observed from project document (PC-Is & PC-IV) that project was originally designed for 24 months i.e. 30th June 2018 however, the gestation period of the project was extended to 54 months i.e. 31st December 2020 which shows 125 percent increase in the time period,” the report said.
In the report, the DGME also wrote an observation that the laboratory did not develop Management Information System (MIS) nor did it take any steps to secure the data.
“It was observed during evaluation that Mine sample testing Laboratory, Khushab has inspected 937 coal mines, salt mines and surface mines during the period. Further, 29,533 samples of water, oxygen gas, methane gas, carbon dioxide, oxygen monoxide etc. were tested. But it was observed that the Mine Sample Testing Laboratory is not maintaining any proper MIS of inspections and sample testing hence, lack data bank in soft form for ready reference.”
DG&ME also expressed observations on the civil works carried out for the project and wrote, “It was required to conduct quality tests during the construction phase of the project but however the tests were not performed regarding the quality of material being used in the project. Furthermore, the quality control test reports were not provided to DG M&E team. Ramp is the main component of the building, although ramp was provided but it was not completed as per approved drawings,” report stated.
However, when contacted, Azam Sohail, project director (PD), informed that the data of all the tests conducted in the lab was available.
“We also provided all the data and documents to DG&ME. We have a complete monitoring system. However, soft copies of the data are not available,” he said. Interestingly, PD was not even fully aware of MIS.
