No ban on ongoing uplift projects: ECP

Top electoral body says it did not ban maintenance, repair schemes

RAWALPINDI:

Months after a ban was imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on all kinds of development schemes in Punjab, the top electoral body on Wednesday issued a clarification, paving the way for lifting the ban on the ongoing uplift projects by the local bodies across the province including the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC).

According to sources, with the ECP’s clarification, the withheld payments of millions of rupees will now be made to the private contractors.

The ECP, in its clarification, said it only banned the announcement and execution of new development projects until the provincial elections.

Soon after the top electoral body imposed the ban, the work on all the ongoing development and maintenance projects in Punjab was stopped in view of the expected elections of the Punjab Assembly on May 14.

Given the ban on starting work on these projects not only the citizens were facing huge problems but the national resources were also being wasted due to the theft and wastage of building materials and the destruction of unfinished work while the cost of these projects was also increasing due to the increase in the rates of building materials.

In this regard, the ECP issued an explanation in response to a reference sent to the electoral body by the secretary of the Local Government Department in light of the orders issued by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan had imposed a ban only on the announcement and execution of new development projects due to the Punjab Assembly election, which remains intact, however, no ban has been imposed on development or maintenance projects started before January 22, 2023. Therefore, there is no restriction on completing the ongoing development works, making payments for them and working on maintenance and repair works,” the ECP’s clarification said.

It should be noted that without correct interpretation of the ECP orders by the Local Government Department, the work on the ongoing development projects was not only stopped but also payments were not being made to the contract holders worth millions of rupees, adding to their difficulties.

On the other hand, the citizens are not only facing difficulties due to the ban on maintenance and repair works but the projects, requiring necessary maintenance and repair work, are also getting damaged.

According to sources, the problems of the citizens were exacerbating due to the stoppage of the construction and repair of roads and streets under the municipal bodies, timely maintenance of the sewage system to keep it active, cleaning of street lights, sewage drains and the repair of the buildings of the local bodies.

The contractors were also facing immense financial difficulties due to the stoppage of work after securing the contracts.

Further, economic activities were also badly affected due to the large-scale stoppage of buying and selling of building materials.

The sources said after the ECP’s clarification, the remaining work of the ongoing uplift projects will be completed and payments to the contractors will be made.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2023.