Govt contractors protest against combined tendering of projects

MANSEHRA: The government contractors on Thursday took to the streets to protest against the combined tendering process of Rs350 million development schemes to be executed by the Communication and Works Department.

“The local government department rules clearly say the tendering process of each development scheme would take place separately but the C&W Department wants to award contracts of Rs350 million schemes to some ‘blue-eyed’ contractors to embezzle funds,” Tasleem Khan, the president of the contractors’ association, told protesters.

The protesting contractors assembled outside the press club and raised slogans in support of their demands and against the C&W Department. “A panel of lawyers has finalised a writ petition, which would be moved in the court of law against this fraud as all such development schemes are advertised separately in the other districts across the province,” he said.

He added that if the combined tendering process and execution of all those schemes happened, more than 700 government contractors of Categories C-4 and C-5 would be deprived of their right of executing those schemes as they cannot take part in the tendering process of over Rs50 million.