Hydrant auction plan in 30 days ordered

KARACHI:

The constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court disposed of a petition seeking fresh tenders for hydrant contracts after the expiry of previous agreements, directing the water corporation to formulate a new auction plan within two months.

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that the principles of transparency and fair competition were being violated. He stated that although the previous hydrants contracts had expired, no new tenders were being issued. Continuing hydrant operations under such circumstances, he argued, was against the public interest and undermined governance and accountability. The petitioner requested the court to order a transparent auction process and prevent further extensions, while also expressing concerns about being excluded from the bidding process.

The government lawyer contended that the petition was based on assumptions. He maintained that the hydrant contracts had originally been awarded through a transparent and competitive bidding process, and that the bidding process had not been challenged at the appropriate time.