ISLAMABAD, March 26: Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has stated that “MORE” company has collected Rs 529 million additional toll on Lahore-Islamabad M-2 Motorway.
According to a report compiled by AGP, Chairman National Highways Authority (NHA), violating NHA’s own agreement, awarded possession of services areas on M-2 to his blue-eyed company “MORE”.
Report says, according to agreement between NHA and “MORE”, the company was not authorized to increase rates of toll for three years but the company unilaterally mounted toll rates since 2014 and hence collected additional Rs 529 million from passengers.
The said company has also been granted illegal control of all serves areas located on M-2 while as par rules, these national assets could not be handed over to private firms.
NHA officials did not maintain record of these services areas while handing over control of these assets to “MORE” which shows their dishonesty.
According to AGP report, the authority has signed toll lease agreement with “MORE” for 20 years which caused lose of more than Rs 205 billion to national exchequer.
NHA did not receive Rs 1.48 billion from the company, an amount which should have paid as guarantee which indicates how NHA top officials provided financial benefits to the company owned by close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
AGP requested the Speaker National Assembly to order a probe into this mega corruption and to bring officials, involved in scam, to book. -Online
