42 firms interested in Sector I-15 development

Firms to undergo a prequalification process

ISLAMABAD: The apex civic body of the federal capital plans to kick-off development work on Sector I-15 soon having received as many as 42 expressions of interest from various contractors for the purpose.

This was disclosed by officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a statement on Monday.

Officials said that these firms, who had filed the requisite papers in response to an advertisement from the civic authority, will be required to complete a pre-qualification process. This process is expected to be completed within a week following which the tenders would be issued.

The authority had sought applications from firms registered in category-1 or above with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for infrastructure development of Sector I-15.

Officials said that the CDA has set up a special committee which will review the firms who have applied. The committee is examining various aspects of the companies including financial capability, equipment inventory, human resource, past experience as well as their market reputation.

The committee is prioritising factors such as good reputation and past experience so that development of in the sector can be completed quickly and smoothly while meeting all requirements.

Sector I-15 had been announced in 2005 with some 10,290 plots of different categories and sizes. It was aimed to provide a housing solution for the low-income residents of the federal capital. But its development has been stalled for years even though the plots in the sector have been allotted. As a result, the allottees of the sector are still waiting to start work on their properties.

IMC failed to address civic issues

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan on Monday lambasted the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) for its failure to resolve civic issues of the federal capital’s residents despite having access to an ‘army’ of workers.

Addressing the media outside the Parliament House on Monday, Awan said that as many as 11,000 staffers had been transferred from the CDA to the IMC as part of the integration plan. These staffers now operated on the directions of the Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz.

Despite having such a large workforce at his disposal, Awan accused the mayor of ignoring the problems of the city.

Basing his allegations on the directions issued by the top court last week, Awan said that the issues of the federal capital which require immediate attention include the shortage of potable water and cleanliness.

Awan claimed that of the 192 tube-wells installed in the federal capital, as many as 160 were out of order. As a result, an insufficient amount of water was available to meet the needs of the city.

To make matters worse, he said that most of the water tankers owned by the city are also out of order which was hampering the supply of water.

“The situation has added the woes of the federal capital’s residents,” he said, adding that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration had ensured the provision of 256 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to the city for the past six years but now, only a fraction of that, just 56 MGD, was being provided.

He continued that poor sanitation has been a longstanding complaint of the residents of the city.

“Because of poor garbage collection arrangements, the capital presents a dirty and filthy look.” The special assistant added.

Awan went on to urge the local government to improve its performance in the city for the sake of its residents.

Last week, the top court had admonished the mayor for failing to play his role in improving the situation in the federal capital, asking “what is the purpose of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) then?” All the development works should be done with the approval of the IMC and the interior ministry secretary should find an administrative solution for Islamabad.”

Discussing the case on encroachments by a commercial plaza, the mayor had argued that he was powerless. Such was the apathy in the corporation that the interior ministry was ordering transfers and postings at will, he lamented.

“The IMC was not given its due share in the budget,” Aziz said, adding that despite what was on paper, it was the CDA who was running the show in IMC.

The court had also expressed is resentment over the cleanliness situation in Islamabad and observed that there are heaps of garbage across the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2019.