CDA to respond to charges of non-payment

Petitioner claims the civic body had not paid the Rs4 million it owed to the firm for the past eight years.

RAWALPINDI: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been given two weeks to respond to charges of stopping a private firm’s payment. The petitioner, Prince Enterprises, claims that the civic body had not paid the Rs4 million that it owed to the firm for the past eight years. Later CDA also removed the contractor from the list of companies authorised to repair heavy machineries for the authority.

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh of Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Thursday directed CDA’s chairperson and Director General Environment to submit their response to the charges within 14 days.

The firm, in its petition, said that it had been listed with CDA since 1998. Between 1998 and 2002, it performed repair work on heavy machineries belonging to the Environment Department and the Machinery Pool Organisation (both fall under CDA) through proper procedure.

Prince Enterprises submitted a bill of Rs4 million in 2002, which has yet to be paid. CDA then delisted the firm. In addition to getting paid for the work it has already done, the firm also wants to get relisted with the civic body.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2010.