New Gwadar International Airport Project

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Post by PK777 »

Build ISB for Goodness sake first! That should be their priority.
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Post by Abbas Ali »

New Gwadar Airport

MEO’s acquisition of land objected

ISLAMABAD:
The Upper House on Thursday witnessed fireworks over the acquisition of land for the New Gwadar Airport by the Military Estate Officer (MEO) in place of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which owns and develops such facilities.

Leader of the opposition Raza Rabbani apprehended that the purchase of land in Gwadar by the MEO, Quetta, infers that the facility would be military-cum-civilian. He said land for airports in Lahore and Islamabad has been acquired by the CAA.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan told the Senate that the federal government has released Rs1.050 billion to the MEO, Quetta, for acquisition of land measuring 6,500 acres for the development of the airport. He said its construction would be completed in two years from the start of work, which is expected to commence this year.

Senators from Balochistan including Ismail Buledi, Kamran Murtaza and others from Balochistan complained that no landowner has been paid even a single penny while his estate has been occupied for the airport.

Afgan said that according to the brief given to him by the defence ministry, money has been paid to all the landowners. He said the Supreme Court has also taken a suo moto notice of the allotments in Gwadar where any illegality would be exposed.

He said the Military Land and Cantonment Department of which the MEO is an employee and a civil servant comes under the defence ministry and so does the CAA. He said it makes no difference whether the CAA or MEO purchased land for the airport.

Rabbani said the inference from the purchase of land by the MEO was that the army would get it and later lease it out to the CAA. Why isn't the CAA buying the land directly, he asked and said the matter needs a minute enquiry.

Source: The News
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Post by Abbas Ali »

“The Gwadar airport will be an open-sky airport” Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz disclosed on Monday (March 19) while inaugurating the water desalination plant in Gwadar city.
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Post by Abbas Ali »

New Gwadar International Airport To Be Completed By 2010

ISLAMABAD, Feb 28 (APP) -
Caretaker Minister for Defence Salim Abbas Jilani Wednesday said the Gwadar Airport project would be completed by August 2010 at a cost of Rs 7,885 million.

In a written reply to question raised by Muhammad Ismail Buledi in the Senate, he said after the completion of planning and designing process the physical execution of Gwadar Airport project is scheduled to start in March this year.

Source: www.app.com.pk
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Post by Abbas Ali »

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) inviting applications for prequalification of firms/contractors for New Gwadar International Airport project works through following notice appearing in today's (April 30) newspaper:

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On the Net: www.caapakistan.com.pk
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Post by Abbas Ali »

ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan has earmarked 3000 acres (12 km²) of land for Gwadar International Airport which was being built 26 km away to the northeast of the existing airport towards Pasni and is likely to cost between $200‑250 million.

Source: APP
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Probe against CAA begins: Rs 1.5 billion spent to buy land for new Gwadar airport

MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD (April 27 2009):
The Planning Commission is understood to have started investigation against Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for spending Rs 1.5 billion to purchase land for the proposed new Gwadar International Airport without taking the federal government into confidence, official sources told Business Recorder.

They said that the inquiry has been ordered by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) in its meeting on March 30, 2009. The meeting was presided over by the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tarin. Sources said that the Advisor was shocked to hear that the executing agency did not bother to seek even anticipatory approval for the expenditure.

In 2007, the government had decided to review the specifications of the proposed airport to make it cost-effective, and also to resolve the controversy over the cost of land between the Defence Ministry and Balochistan government, sources said.

They said that when the issue was placed before the Ecnec, it was pointed out that the executing agency had spent Rs 1.5 billion without approval of Ecnec, and even anticipatory approval was also not obtained. " The case was presented to the Ecnec after a lapse of three years, which the Advisor observed was regrettable," sources added.

After detailed discussion, sources said, the Ecnec decided that the Planning Commission should probe all aspects of the case and submit its recommendations in the next Ecnec meeting. The sources said that Gwadar international airport project had been deliberated threadbare by the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on February 26, 2007, which had asked the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Akram Sheikh to discuss the matter with Balochistan Governor for acquisition of 6,500 acres land for the project and submit report to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

According to sources, the ECC had approved some changes in the 'Memorandum of Understanding' (MoU), especially the shortening of the taxiway and withdrawal of provisions for Airbus A380 flights. However, provision of these flights were to be included in the future plan.

Sources said that former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, had been asked to revise the parameters of the airport, relating to apron area and other facilities, to make the project cost-effective. "No provision was to be made at that stage for Airbus A380, and a modular approach was to be adopted whereas space would be earmarked for future expansion," they said. Defence Ministry had earlier submitted a summary to the ECC, seeking approval for awarding the airport project on turnkey basis to China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). However, the ECC had given certain guidelines and directed to re-examine the proposal for submission of updated summary to the ECC.

In 2007, the matter was placed before the Ecnec, which approved the PC-1 for land acquisition for the airport with the direction that no increase in the price of land and no re-alignment of coastal road should be undertaken, and the issue hindering the implementation of the project should be resolved by the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary of Balochistan.

According to sources, Defence Ministry's representative explained that the MoU had been revised in consultation with the Law Division to incorporate safety/exit clauses.

The revised MoU was signed by the CAA and CHEC on January 20, 2007, sources said. It was also explained to the ECC that performance guarantee from 'A' rated bank would be included in the formal contract to be signed with the company.

Sources said that the CAA was processing the project on modern lines, and a sum of Rs 1050 million was allocated in PSDP 2005-06 for acquisition of land at Rs 157,000 per acre, which amount had already been released in favour of Military Estate Officer, Quetta.

However, the acquisition of land was delayed as the Balochistan government unilaterally increased the cost of land from Rs 157,000 to Rs 350,000 per acre, besides reducing the area from 5600 acres to 4137 acres.

Source: www.brecorder.com
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Post by Moin »

Now the infamous probes and investigations start followed by litigation in the courts and the future of this airport will now indefinitely hang in the balance. Business as usual.
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Post by Abbas Ali »

Land for Gwadar airport: Balochistan government held responsible for raise in price

MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD (April 30 2009):
The Ministry of Defence has held the Balochistan government responsible for 122 percent increase in the price of the land for New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA). The provincial government has also been accused of not only ignoring the directives of the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, but also changing the basic data of calculating the average price of land.

The Planning Commission has been directed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) to investigate the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) act of spending Rs 1.5 billion to purchase land for an airport at Gwadar.

According to official documents available with Business Recorder, a fact-finding committee, comprising, Member (Implementation and Monitoring), Planning Commission, Additional Chief Secretary, Additional Secretary, Finance Division; Additional Secretary, Defence Division; Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority, Senior Member of Board of Revenue, Balochistan; Joint Chief Economist (Projects), Planning Commission and Specialist PSDP, Planning Commission, has investigated the reasons behind the delay in the implementation of the project and increase in the cost of land.

A meeting of the fact-finding committee was held on October 28, 2008. The Additional Secretary, Finance was represented by DFA and ACS Development, whereas Balochistan government expressed its inability to attend the meeting on some unspecified grounds and had made a request for the postponement or reconvening of the meeting. The Deputy Director General, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was represented by the Director Planning CAA.

Acting Senior Member, Board of Revenue, Balochistan, Ghulam Rasul Hasni, however, visited the Planningg Commission on October 23, 2008. He was asked by the Member (I&M)/ED IMU to provide the break-up of land, procured for the CAA, owned by private owners and government land.

He, on subsequent telephonic conversation, revealed that all the land procured for the CAA was owned by the private landowners. The viewpoint of the Balochistan government was contained in a brief obtained from the Board of Revenue through the Chief Secretary Balochistan, which was circulated in the meeting. Member (I&M)/ED (IMU) stated that the fact-finding committee has been mandated to look into the reasons for the delay and the increase in the cost of land and the report of the committee would be submitted to the Ecnec for a final decision.

Additional Secretary, Defence , Major General Mir Haider Ali Khan stated that all the facts of the current issue involved in processing the case for the procurement of land for NGIA had been extensively debated upon in the past at various fora, including CDWP, Ecnec, Co-ordination and Implementation Committee (CIC) meetings.

According to the documents, meetings were also held between Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and Governor Balochistan. In addition, meetings have also been held in the Planning Commission office wherein representatives of all the concerned establishments were in attendance. The issues under debate were; (i) Readjustment of the location and reduction in size of the NGIA land and realignment of the proposed Coastal Highway towards the north; and (ii) Enhancement of the rate from the previously assessed figures.

Major General Haider had stated that the Ministry of Defence had all along opposed any increase in cost of land, as well as re-alignment of the proposed Coastal Highway, as it would result in major re-adjustment in the overall project - physically and financially - and had consistently stressed that approval/directions of Ecnec was required.

However, on repeated insistence of CIC constituted for integrated development of Gwadar, the matter was referred to the competent authority which reiterated the original decision, wherein no enhancement in the cost of land for NGIA and no re-alignment of the Coastal Highway were acceptable.

This was conveyed to the CIC accordingly but the stance of Ministry of Defence has not been properly recorded in CIC meetings, he added. "The acquisition of land has been deliberately delayed by the Balochistan government and instead of acceptance of the approved amount (Rs 1050 million) from the CAA, the Balochistan demanded additional funds based on increased rate," Additional Secretary continued.

He further revealed that subsequent to release of funds the issue regarding transfer of the funds was discussed by CIC on December 12, 2006 which decided that payment to land owners be made on the basis of market rate of December 6, 2006.

The proposal of increase in cost from Rs 157, 000 per acre to Rs 348, 140/ (122 percent) was discussed in a meeting held on June 2, 2007. It was chaired by the then Deputy Chairman and attended by Governor Balochistan, CAA Director General Military Land & Cantonment, QMG, GHQ, and DG log JSHQ.

The meeting had decided that "the federal government may consider additional amount from the PSDP 2007-08 and in the subsequent years for purchase of 4300 acres identified/earmarked for NGIA. Meanwhile, the Balochistan government should start making payment to the land owners from the amount already disbursed by the Defence Ministry." CAA on direction of CIC released Rs 1050 million to the Balochistan government on June 2, 2007 for the acquisition of land. This amount was not released earlier because the amount was under active consideration of CIC since 2006.

The federal government subsequently released Rs 453.744 million to Board of Revenue, Balochistan government on February 08, 2008 against a demand of Rs 447 million. Balochistan government handed over the physical possession of land to CCA on May 13, 2008 after completing all the formalities.

Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence subsequently dilated on the factors responsible for delay in the acquisition of land for NGIA. He stated that unit cost of land was obtained from MLC Quetta on 31st January, 2005 and this rate was conveyed to the Board of Revenue (BOR), Government of Balochistan by the CAA on 20th March 2006. CDWP accorded conditional approval on 20th May, 2006 and constituted a committee to verify the cost of land. Planning Commission allocated Rs 1050 million in PSDP 2005-2006 and conveyed this to Ministry of Defence on 29th April, 2006. The entire cost of land at Rs 1050 million was released on 27th June, 2006. However, Anticipatory Approval of the Chairman ECNEC was conveyed to M/o Defence on 30 June, 2006 and final approval on 30th November 2006. Administrative approval by M/o Defence was issued on 26th December 2006.

However, at this stage CIC was formed and the whole matter went before it for deliberations in its various meetings. The CIC, in its meeting held on 26 December, 2006, directed to fix the land price at the then prevailing rate as on 6 December, 2006 (when objection time of 30 days was over after application of Section-4 on 6 November, 2006). The matter was deliberated and every time demand for additional funds was received from the Balochistan government based on the inadequacy of the available resources. Subsequently, Planning Commission facilitated in securing approval of the government for financing the additional cost.

In the very first meeting of the CIC held on 12 December, 2006 enhancement of land price, realignment of coastal highway and shifting of airport site away from the selected location emerged, which was examined on technical grounds and CIC was informed that approach and landing angle cannot be realigned, while land side area mainly comprising the terminal building and allied facilities, can be realigned/redesigned.

The documents further reveal that Additional Secretary Defence categorically referred to acceptance of shifting the earmarked area towards north by the QMG in one of the meetings, which was in the greater national interest since the airport and economic zone deserved the highest priority. Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission directed Balochistan government to hand over the land by 15 November 2007, which was not honoured and the CAA received possession of land on 13 May, 2008 after lapse of 11 months, despite the receipt of the entire cost by the Balochistan government.

He was also of the view that the decisions taken by CDWP and Ecnec were not implemented as approved because the issues of land price and alignment were reviewed by the CIC and referred back to the competent authority with amended proposals. These were subsequently approved, as explained above, and only then was the process moved forward. This has been the actual cause of delay of the project.

According to the Defence Ministry, repeated demands by the Balochistan government to reduce size, re-adjust location, and enhance price of the NGIA land, were the major factors. Deliberation by the CIC to have the Ecnec decision reviewed, which took time, was an inherent subsidiary factor.

Even when the project was realigned and the additional cost of land made available, Balochistan government took 11 months to acquire land and hand over possession of the land after receipt of the entire funds, the Defence Ministry further argued. It is not known when the Planning Commission would submit the investigation report to the Ecnec, which is to be finalised before the convening of the meeting.

Source: www.brecorder.com
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

Post by Abbas Ali »

Government approves Rs 7.5bn construction of Gwadar Int’l Airport

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party on Thursday approved 42 national importance projects worth Rs 107.2 billion including foreign aid component of Rs 10 billion.

The 42 projects included Construction of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) and Allied Facilities Rs 7.5 billion including Rs 1.312 billion as FEC. The scheme envisages construction of state of the art NGIA, along with allied facilities over a piece of land already acquired measuring 4300 acres. The construction of the NGIA would be undertaken in phased programme over a 30-year period.

The airport would be developed as a green-field airport and all major components of an airport would be developed as part of this project. The officials claimed that the NGIA would be the business gateway to Pakistan through the city of Gwadar. The government had already allocated Rs 750 million in the PSDP 2009-10 for construction of the airport.

Source: Daily Times
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

Post by innovative »

I hope this airport starts working asap ... but the way its being handled, it looks we'll hv to wait for years perhaps
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

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Gwadar Airport Project To Be Completed by 2012

ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar on Friday said that the Gwadar Airport project with an initial cost of Rs6,400 million would be completed by June 2012. Replying to a question, the minister told the lower house of parliament that the actual amount was subsequently determined by project consultants NESPAK as Rs7,500 million. The project may be delayed by a few months due to the local residents’ agitation and confined contractors’ activities, while the government is taking steps to expedite work for timely completion of the project.

Source: The News

Btw, according to Daily Times October 17, 2009 news report, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar informed the National Assembly.
“The Gwadar airport’s completion date is December 31, 2011,”.
And, according to www.onlinenews.com.pk news report:
Regarding Gwadar air port project, Federal Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said that an estimation of 5400 million rupees looks on the cards while NESPAK has weighed in with 500 million rupees adding projects is moving on slowly.
So, it means there will be delay in completion of this project according to details given in 'The News' report.
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

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Abbas Ali wrote:Gwadar Airport Project To Be Completed by 2012

ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar on Friday said that the Gwadar Airport project with an initial cost of Rs6,400 million would be completed by June 2012. Replying to a question, the minister told the lower house of parliament that the actual amount was subsequently determined by project consultants NESPAK as Rs7,500 million. The project may be delayed by a few months due to the local residents’ agitation and confined contractors’ activities, while the government is taking steps to expedite work for timely completion of the project.
I do not know what kind of Calendar and Clock Defense Minister uses. But Gwadar Airport Completion date has changed from original June 2010 to June 2012. This is a NET TWO YEARS DELAY and can NOT be termed as timely completion.
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

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Rs6.18 billion for Gwadar Airport

ISLAMABAD, Dec 17:
The government has decided to provide Rs6.18 billion for construction of an international airport in Gwadar, despite an earlier decision that the airport would be built by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from its own resources.

The total cost of the project is Rs7.5 billion. The government of Oman will provide a grant of $17.5 million.

Under the earlier decision taken at the beginning of the last fiscal year the CAA was to build the airport on the pattern of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

The PC-1 of the project approved in July 2008 stated that CAA would use its own funds in addition to the Omani grant.

Source: DAWN
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Re: New Gwadar International Airport Project

Post by haquekhan6 »

I hope its like the Islamabad airport with modern and open architecture.