| ISLAMABAD-The Capital Development Authority has failed to reach a logical conclusion in a multi-billion scam of ‘quotations’ as a committee formed to conduct physical verification of works has yet to complete its task.
Sources told further that the Federal Investigation Agency has also taken cognizance in the matter and they are examining the process by gathering initial information to start a formal inquiry into this scam.
However, a three member committee comprising three officers of the Engineering Wing Mashooq Ali Shaikh, Fasial Gadi and Islam Bloch have failed to conclude its report, which was tasked to do physical verification of works carried out through quotations.
In the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, some of the directorates of CDA had done different works on quotations basis in a highly dubious manner instead of going into open tendering besides the clear warnings to stop said practice by then Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed.
Concerned circles believe that about Rs20 billion have been spent on development works through quotations, however the actual quantum of funds utilized is still undercover as the city managers are reluctant to share the details.
The quotations is a mode of procurement provided in Public Procurement Regulatory Rules for tiny works, in which the work up to Rs.500,000 can be awarded without going into a tendering process but the said provision was blatantly misused by few directorates of the CDA.
This scribe had filed a request in this regard under Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 in September 2022 and sought specific details on this subject, which is otherwise termed as a biggest scam of the recent history of CDA.
It was requested to the CDA to provide the year and directorate wise breakup of development works carried out on ‘quotation bases’ from 2018 till date. The names of the companies which were awarded the quotations declaring them ‘lowest’ were also requested through said RTI request in addition to providing the details of those companies which could not succeed to win the same quotations.
This scribe also requested to provide the names of the officers, who have approved the technical as well as financial sanctions for all such quotations.
Meanwhile, it was also requested from the CDA that it should also be explained how much of the total development budget of the authority was spent through quotations in the aforementioned time period. In response to this RTI request, the RTI officer of CDA Syed Safdar Shah had sent a letter and informed that the requisite information is being gathered from different quarters and it will be made available in the shortest possible time.
However, even after several months no response has been made by the city managers, which shows that the management is reluctant to share the specific details in this regard.
It is pertinent to mention here that the former Chief Commissioner and the Chairman CDA Amir Ali Ahmed had directed his subordinates to discontinue the practice of awarding development works on quotation basis but his instructions were also ignored.
Later, when the present government came into power, the previous Chairman Captain (Retired) Muhammad Usman had not only put a complete ban on the practice but also ordered an inquiry in this regard, which has yet to be completed.
However, sources inside the authority informed that the incumbent Chairman CDA seems uninterested to unearth this scam and he is showing leniency in this regard. |
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