CDA assures TI to redress grievances of contractors

In response to a letter written by Transparency International (TI) raising concerns about the pre-qualification of firms in awarding contract of Park Enclave Housing Scheme, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Farkhand Iqbal has claimed to redress the grievances of the contractors who were not pre-qualified in the process. In his written reply to the TI, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, the CDA chief said that since receiving the grievances on the bidding from TI, CDA board in its meeting held on February 2, 2012, has constituted a redressal committee to attend to the grievances of the contractors who were not qualified in the pre-qualified process.
Earlier, on complaint of some contractors who also took part in the pre-qualification process but could not get pre-qualified, the TI had written a letter to CDA and raised objections of the prequalification process. The letter raised concerns about the tendering process of the project and about engaging NESPAK in scrutinizing the tender bids. The letter alleged that the CDA and NESPAK had made a cartel for awarding the contract to MAAKSON Ltd. The TI also asked the CDA to form a committee to look into the contractors’ complaints, but the authority did not bother to do so. When the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took up the matter, the CDA was compelled to form a committee to investigate the tenders.
However, the CDA chairman in his reply submitted that CDA had hired the services of NESPAK for the park enclave project under the provisions of Public Procurement Regulations for Procurement of Consultancy Services Regulations 2010.
It was stated in the reply that technical proposals of the so far pre-qualified contractors are under appraisal with the NESPAK. Nevertheless, the financial proposals are still intact, so there is no likelihood of any favoritism on the part of either the CDA or NESPAK.
The CDA chairman submitted to the TI that outcome of the redressal committee will guide CDA to finalize the list of contractors and if any discrepancy is found by the committee that would be rectified accordingly and the aggrieved party will have all rights of its inclusion in the list of the pre-qualified contractors.