Computerising land records: Contract awarded in violation of rules
ICT officials say firm selected without open bidding.
Computerising land records: Contract awarded in violation of rules. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The contract for the computerisation of the capital’s land records has allegedly been awarded to a private firm in violation of rules.
The Electronic Government Directorate (EGD), a branch of the Ministry of Information Technology (IT), is undertaking the computerisation of land records of Islamabad’s rural areas. The EGD awarded the contract to Accountancy Outsourcing Services (AOS), a Punjab-based company, in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, said an Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) official requesting anonymity. According to sources, AOS is presently computerising land records of the province of Punjab.
“Necessary procedures were not followed by the directorate and the contract was handed over to the Punjab-based company,” he added.
The official further revealed that the firm was not selected through open bidding and several companies were deprived of participation which was a gross violation of PPRA rules. The official claimed that the government had for some reason favoured AOS instead of giving an opportunity to other, potentially better, companies. A senior ICT official told The Express Tribune that for the contract for Punjab’s land records, four private companies were shortlisted, AOS, Descon Information System, Netsol Technologies Pakistan and Techlogix, but in Islamabad, AOS was given the contract straightaway.
The IT ministry’s spokesperson, Kamran Ali, said he was unaware of the contract’s award and that he would be able to clarify the matter on Monday. He confirmed that the contract was awarded to AOS but said he would have to check from the concerned directorate whether rules were violated.
Secretariat Assistant Commissioner Nauman Yousaf, who is in-charge of the project, said, “The ICT administration has nothing to do with the contract as it falls under the purview of EGD.” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ahmed Ali is supervising the project, the total cost of which is Rs84 million. The project was outsourced to EGD and is expected to be complete in June next year, he added.
Since the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government came to power, the ICT administration had expedited the process of computerising land records and more than 500,000 documents of various villages of the capital have been scanned to date.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2013.
The contract for the computerisation of the capital’s land records has allegedly been awarded to a private firm in violation of rules.
The Electronic Government Directorate (EGD), a branch of the Ministry of Information Technology (IT), is undertaking the computerisation of land records of Islamabad’s rural areas. The EGD awarded the contract to Accountancy Outsourcing Services (AOS), a Punjab-based company, in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, said an Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) official requesting anonymity. According to sources, AOS is presently computerising land records of the province of Punjab.
“Necessary procedures were not followed by the directorate and the contract was handed over to the Punjab-based company,” he added.
The official further revealed that the firm was not selected through open bidding and several companies were deprived of participation which was a gross violation of PPRA rules. The official claimed that the government had for some reason favoured AOS instead of giving an opportunity to other, potentially better, companies. A senior ICT official told The Express Tribune that for the contract for Punjab’s land records, four private companies were shortlisted, AOS, Descon Information System, Netsol Technologies Pakistan and Techlogix, but in Islamabad, AOS was given the contract straightaway.
The IT ministry’s spokesperson, Kamran Ali, said he was unaware of the contract’s award and that he would be able to clarify the matter on Monday. He confirmed that the contract was awarded to AOS but said he would have to check from the concerned directorate whether rules were violated.
Secretariat Assistant Commissioner Nauman Yousaf, who is in-charge of the project, said, “The ICT administration has nothing to do with the contract as it falls under the purview of EGD.” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ahmed Ali is supervising the project, the total cost of which is Rs84 million. The project was outsourced to EGD and is expected to be complete in June next year, he added.
Since the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government came to power, the ICT administration had expedited the process of computerising land records and more than 500,000 documents of various villages of the capital have been scanned to date.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2013.