Taunsa barrage construction company guards thrash media persons
TAUNSA BARRAGE (April 23 2007): The Taunsa barrage emergency rehabilitation and modernisation project’s construction company, Descon, barred a media team from visiting the construction site, and meeting with labourers after disclosure of corruption complaints, and the company’s guards attacked the journalists on Sunday.
Punjab government has sponsored the project with loan assistance of World Bank and Jica worth Rs 11,232.38 for the rehabilitation and modernisation of Taunsa barrage. Punjab Irrigation Department, on behalf of Punjab government, is the executing agency for the project, while Descon Construction Company is the project contractor.
The sons of soil of the area complained about possession of politically influential feudal elite in collaboration with Descon representatives, substandard work and embezzlements in billions worth project. A media team from Multan, consisting of national daily newspapers journalists reached Taunsa barrage on the request of the people living across the river belt to assess the miseries being faced by sons of the soil, financial exploitation of working labour.
The barrage was presenting a camouflaged look and terror at the hands of Afzal Hanjra’s henchmen wearing shalwar and kamis with daggers and unlicensed pistols in their dress were moving in the area. Frontier Constabulary personnel were sitting across their camp and chatting when media team reached the Taunsa barrage.
The media team requested the uniformed personnel to contact Descon representatives. He said in very harsh tone: “Offices are closed due to Sunday.” However, the construction work at the site, situated a few yards away from the road was continuing at full sowing.
The media team moved to opposite direction towards the construction site when some guards were already watching the movement and stopped the media persons, saying: “If you want to save your life, turned back.” They were wearing Lungi and Kurta and said that Afzal Hanjra, brother of Muzaffargarh ex-district nazim Sultan Hanjra had appointed them there.
They claimed that they were security guards. When they were asked about their security uniforms or ID cards they did not bother to explain to justify their presence. Those persons said that Afzal Hanjra had got appointed 150 persons there with the orders not to allow journalists to enter the construction area.
Meanwhile, about a dozen of persons riding bikes appeared from the other direction and encircled all journalists.
Among them one introduced himself as Rafiullah Briar, and threatened the journalists of shooting at site if they did not leave the place immediately. The leader jumped towards a photographer and caught him by his neck and snatched his digital camera.
The rest of the guards caught the rest of journalists while a representative of Descon, Arif, was standing there, watching. Some labourers were taking their meal just a few feet away. They intervened and got all journalists released.
Then Arif asked the journalists to meet company’s in charge. Talking to journalists, Descon in charge PP&A-IPBA Masoodul Hassan Malik said that the company had hired security personnel of Farooq & Company and appointed them at the spot. When he was asked that those persons were without uniform and security company’s ID cards, he said it was irrelevant.
The Descon representative was asked for a visit to the construction site. He flatly refused, saying that it would be ‘safety risk’. The Descon in charge Masoodul Hassan asked the media team to contact Irrigation official to get permission for visit, or write a letter to irrigation department in this regard.
The Punjab Irrigation consultant Orangzeb was contacted to seek information on under-construction Taunsa barrage emergency rehabilitation and modernisation project, but he refused to meet the journalists. When efforts were made to contact Muzaffargarh DPO Tahir, he was not available. Muzaffargarh security in charge, Inspector Aijaz Khan was contacted, he denied registration or operation of any security company under such title of Farooq & Company.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:4/23/2007
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