Mishref sewage treatment station shut down

Workers at the Mishref sewage treatment station were surprised on noticing a noـentry sign slapped on the exterior gate of the station. It has been reported that the wrought iron gate was tightly closed to refuse workers access to the facility. AlـWatan has learnt that the ministry had closed down the station and prevented the entry of workers since Wednesday with repairـwork grinding to a complete halt. Workers were nowhere to be seen at the site of the station.

An official source stated that the decision to close down the station was prompted by the instructions of the Experts Committee until such a time that it enters the station to assess the damage caused by the malfunction of the station lately. This also coincides with a case filed at a local court by the Ministry of Public Works against the station’’s contractor.

Affirming that the ministry is keen on protecting public funds, the source said that the ministry is in possession of documents and correspondence that took place between the ministry and the contractor. He, however, stressed that the judiciary has the final say on the issue.

In a similar development, AlـWatan has gathered that the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Public Works Eng. Abdulaziz AlـKulaib has suspended financial packages for numerous contractors working for the ministry until further notice. Regarding the ongoing investigations into the incident, AlـWatan has learnt that the investigation panel that was formed by the Cabinet had not held any meetings or investigations over the past two days. It is, nevertheless, expected to convene next Saturday.

In another development, the undersecretary has endorsed the appointment of Abdurrasul Bu Shahri as Director of Citizens” Service Office at the Public Relations Department while Ahmad AlـMutairi has been appointed the Director of Media Section and Followـup at the same department.

Source : Al Watan