Firdous Market underpass a sore spot for govt

LAHORE:Delay in the construction of Firdous Market Underpass has become a constant point of criticism for the Punjab Government as the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) failed to implement the project completion timelines.

The project’s civil works was formally started in the first week of June after the CM Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar laid its foundation stone on May 18, 2020. The project was to be completed in 120 days (August 18, 2020).

However, on the said date the project remained under construction and Director General LDA announced the project’s new completion date as September 18, 2020, which was later extended to October 31, 2020 but still the project was not completed. It is pertinent to mention here that Chief Minister Punjab paid a surprise visit to the project site on November 3, 2020 and expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of work.

CM Punjab also issued show cause notices to LDA management while the then Chief Engineer (CE) LDA Habibur Rehman Randhawa was repatriated to his parent department, Communication and Works, for slow pace of work. Sources in LDA revealed that the former CE LDA on October 28, 2020 wrote a letter to the Project Director II (Camp Office Firdous Market Underpass) stating that the project work was allotted to a company on 03.06.2020 with time limit of 04 months, which stands expired on 02.10.2020. “Program of work under clause 8/1 as submitted by the contractor also shows the finish of work on 02.10.2020. From the perusal of work schedule submitted by the contractor it can be revealed that the contractor firm could not execute core components of work i.e. Concrete work of Barrel and subsequently the Asphalt of road well in time,” the letter said adding that smelling the slow progress two letters were sent to the contractor dated 27.07.2020 and 17.08.2020 directing the contractor to speed up the work for timely completion of the project in this urban area but unfortunately the contractor didn’t respond as per his contractual obligations.

The Chief Engineer, in his letter, directed the Project Director to initiate action against the contractor under clause 39 and impose a penalty of an amount subject to maximum of 10 per cent of the estimated cost per day of the period beyond date of completion.

Sources in LDA revealed that instead of imposing the penalty on the contractor, the LDA management gave them more time. Sources further revealed that the Chief Engineer LDA was repatriated on the charges of ‘slow pace of work’ was actually ‘punished’ for imposing penalty on the contractor. Former CE LDA Randhawa said those present on the site during the CM’s visit were given a chance through show-cause notices to explain their position/stance, but he was removed from the post instantly without giving opportunity to explain his position.

He said his recommendation for imposition of penalty on the contractor was in accordance with the law and clauses of the contract document. He alleged that he believed that conspiracy to remove him from the post started after he recommended imposition of a heavy penalty on the contractor.

LDA sources alleged the contractor, in a joint venture with another firm, was declared blacklisted for slow pace of work of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project’s package-II in 2015.

LDA sources added that at that time Punjab government imposed heavy penalty on the firm. LDA sources revealed that the same firm got the Peshawar’s BRT project, which also faced a considerable a delay. LDA sources further revealed that the company was also given the work of constructing a drain, side roads and rain water harvesting system at Firdous Market, which was not the part of the underpass project without any tender.

The present Chief Engineer LDA Abdul Razaq while talking with the scribe said that the firm got its name cleared from the blacklist through a court order and got Firdous Market Underpass project as the lowest bidder.

Talking about the extra work awarded to the company without tender, he said that this was not illegal and in engineering terms this was called enhancing the construction work under the same tender. He said the underpass was ready for traffic and vehicles have started passing through the underpass while the side works were under construction.

LDA DG Ahmad Aziz Tarar was sent questions related to the story on his WhatsApp number but he didn’t reply till filing of this report. LDA spokesperson said that the project was not inaugurated today. Sources in the DG office denied the former CE was punished for imposing fine on the contractor.