E-tendering to curb scams in development project: CS

Stresses need for public-private partnership schemes in mega projects

LAHORE: To root out corruption during the tendering process, the Communication and Works Department (C&W) department is planning to start e-tendering for procurement of goods and services at the earliest, as a pilot project in Punjab.

The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan at the C&W Department office on Thursday.

Punjab Minister for Communication and Works Sardar Asif Nakai also attended the meeting that reviewed annual development programme, public-private partnership schemes and mega projects. The meeting was attended by all additional secretaries and top officers of the C&W department.

The CS said the system of e-tendering be started in the C&W department at the earliest to ensure transparency in the procurement. He mentioned that the use of modern technology would help root out corruption and promote transparency. C&W Secretary Capt (retd) Asadullah said matters were being finalised to introduce e-tendering and very soon this system would be launched as a pilot project. The sources said the system of e-tendering would be replicated in every department under e-procurement programme to weed out possibilities of corruption in the bidding process.

The chief secretary said merit and transparency would have to be promoted to improve the performance of departments. Asking the C&W secretary to remove corrupt officers and officials from their posts, he said that skills of the competent officers be utilised to bring improvement in every department.

He directed the C&W secretary to review the 13 unapproved schemes and start preparing for the next annual development programme from now. Priorities be set about uplift schemes with a focus on new schemes in public interest, he added.

The chief secretary also issued the directives regarding the recruitment of officers and staff and establishment of Strategic and Planning Unit in the department.

He said the repair and maintenance work of roads and buildings should be done through proper planning after collecting comprehensive data.

The officers of Communication and Works Department would have to work with full devotion to complete development projects and repair and maintenance of roads on time and despite financial constraints, all required funds would be provided for this purpose so that timely completion of development schemes could be ensured, the CS said.

The C&W secretary briefed the meeting that process was underway for dualisation of 14 roads in different cities under public-private partnership and construction work would begin after bidding and completion of other formalities. In the building sector in North Zone funds of Rs3.5 billion out of total allocated amount of Rs5.5 billion has been released for 300 ongoing and 53 new schemes. Similarly, In Central Zone funds of Rs5 billion out of total Rs9 billion have been released for 289 ongoing and 90 new schemes whereas in South Zone funds of Rs5 billion out of total Rs8.5 billion have been released for 210 ongoing and 53 new schemes, he added.

He maintained that work on 123-kilometre long 174 roads is near completion under Rs 15 billion ‘Naya Pakistan Manzilein Asan’ Project and the second phase of this project is about to begin.

Furthermore, the chief secretary later in the day met with an eight-member delegation led by Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Chairman Asim Raza at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday.

The Punjab government and flour millers agreed, in principle, to fix the price of a 20-kilogramme flour bag at Rs805 in the meeting. The delegates also informed the chief secretary about the problems being faced by them. The CS assured them that the government would extend full support to resolve the genuine problems of flour mill owners.

The delegation comprised of Rauf Ahmad Mukhtar, Mian Riaz Ahmad, Habib ur Rehman Khan Laghari, Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan, Iftikhar Ahmad Matto, Hafiz Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Nasrullah Khosa. Secretary Food Waqas Ali Mehmood and officers concerned were also present on this occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2020.