Controversy between PDA, HMC over pedestrian bridges deepens
 

ISLAMABAD: A lingering controversy over pedestrian bridges contract worth millions of rupees for Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has further deepened as PDA on Friday came out with revelations that top guns of HMC had backed out from allegations of gratification leveled against PDA high-ups in presence of one provincial minister.

In the wake of ongoing controversy where allegations and counter allegations are on, there is need to ascertain facts to ensure transparency in multi-million rupees project being financed with public money in a province where PTI-led government claimed zero tolerance for any wrongdoings.

In a written reply in response to The News story, the PDA’s Director General Saleem Watoo stated on Friday that HMC was requested vide letter **.4.0229/DR-III/PDA/ 02-05 dated 07.4.2016 to provide/submit detailed Engineering Design. In spite of submitting detailed engineering design they insisted for signing of an MOU and subsequently detailed engineering design will follow.

He further stated that an allegation was leveled against PDA officials that they have asked for illegal gratification. However, a meeting was held in the ****** of Minister Local Government and Rural Development on 10.5.2016 which was chaired by Senior Minister Inayat Ullah Khan and was attended by Khallid Khan, General Manager Sales & Marketing, Arsala Khan Manager HMC and one of the Union Leader Shamsur Rahman Swati from HMC.

DG PDA, Director Mian Shakeel and Deputy Director Abdul Ghafoor also attended the meeting. Once confronted with allegations leveled they simply backed out the same on oath. Again it was reiterated in the meeting that they should submit proper engineering design/ detailed estimates that is awaited even till today.

However, people from HMC have resorted to baseless and frivolous allegations. The project has still **t been awarded to any organisation, the written statement added. While talking to The News on Friday, the DG PDA Saleem Watoo said that he was accountable to government, provincial Ehtisab Commission and other forums so he asked the HMC to submit detailed engineering design in order to finalise this project. To a question, he said that the PC-1 was approved with condition of detailed engineering design on the name of HMC but they had**t so far fulfilled our requirements.

When asked about way forward for resolving this controversy, he said that there were alternate options available which they would use at appropriate time. This scribe also contacted with one participant of the meeting Shamsur Rehman Swati, Ammer Jamate-e-Islami District Rawalpindi, he said that he had arranged that meeting in which the HMC people had withdrawn allegations against PDA high-ups. He said that the provincial minister had instructed PDA to settle this issue on merit.

However, HMC top officials argued that they were manufacturers of pedestrian bridges as they provided bridges to CDA in Islamabad, in Gujranwala and to UN in KPK and such engineering design were asked from contractors. “How they could guarantee that these detailed engineering designs will **t be stolen and handed over to our competitors,” they argued.

They said that the condition of placing detailed engineering design was second thought of the PDA high-ups and hidden facts were quite different from reality.

However, in written reply to PDA letter, the HMC wrote that they ack**wledge with thanks PDA letter **. 4.02.29/DR-III/PDA/05 dated Peshawar the 07-04-2016 (received on 15-04-2016) regarding designing, engineering, supply, erection & installation of thirteen (13) number pedestrian bridges as per HMC's proposals.

The HMC stated that please appreciate that since **vember 2015, i.e. after joint site surveys of HMC-PDA team for installation of pedestrian bridges & submission of Tech** Commercial proposals, HMC is working on this project.

During the period, HMC with best endeavor carried out following activities with regard to pedestrian bridges of PDA — Peshawar:-

•Completed the Analog Design work of pedestrian bridges as per site requirements. Prepared BOQ / BOM & indents for bridge materials.

•Processed procurement cases of raw materials. Lined up services of Consultant for Civil foundation design & drawings.

We are ready to work with PDA, to accomplish the project within schedule time. As far as detail engineering design is concerned, please appreciate that we have already incurred substantial cost on account of design work & shall have to pay due payments to civil designer as well. “In view of forgoing we hereby confirm to provide engineering design within one week from date of signing MoU with PDA,” the HMC letter concluded.





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