ISLAMABAD - Replacement of traditional lights with the light emitting diode (LED) lights in the federal capital - a project that has recently been landed in the court even before signing of any formal agreement in this regard owing to alleged controversies involving its tendering process - is undoubtedly a beneficial project for the city, but not at such a high price.
It would not only relieve escalating electricity cost burden from CDA but would also incur relatively less loss to environment of the leafy capital. But the matter of grave concern is that since the project’s launching in February 2010 the “opportunist” officials of the authority on the sweet will of their masters always hindered the way of smooth execution of this project by one way or the other.
Though the tendering process of Rs 6.5 billion project apparently contains several lacunas where one of the pre-qualified firms has been given priority since day first and thus resulted in filing of a petition against alleged irregularities on the part of CDA officials in the tendering process of the project in Islamabad High Court.
But during whole saga of lights project spans over two-and-a-half-year no one could deny the dirty role played by some of the CDA officials aimed to mint money through corrupt practices and thus making the project a story of complete failure.
It starts with the publication of expression of interest for pre-qualification of firms for the project. The expression of interest document was drafted intentionally to keep at bay some “unwanted” firms and consequently the draft of technical and financial bid documents were also prepared keeping in mind the corrupt practices.
No one can forget the role played by former CDA Member Finance Saeedur Rehman who took lead among all other CDA officials to manipulate the whole pre-qualification process in a bid to favour a firm M/s Siteco which was backed by PML-N legislator from Abbotabad.
Saeedur Rehman has recently been summoned by the National Accountability Bureau in a scam pertaining to National Logistic Cell (NLC) where Saeedur Rehman was accused of making unauthorised investment of Rs 4 billion being the chief financial advisor of NLC.
The matter of fact is that Rehman has earlier served the PML-MNA when the legislator was CM KPK also he (Rehman) was the financial consultant to the person who owns firm Siteco. Sources in CDA confided that aforementioned reasons were enough for Rehman to favour firm Siteco instead of CDA.
However, former Member Finance despite his hectic efforts could not succeed to keep in his favourite firm in the process but by doing so he opened the door for others to use pressure tactics to win the contract. Former CDA Member Finance Saeedur Rehman while talking to TheNation said he does not want to comment over the issue as he had quit the Authority long time ago. “If I had tried to derail the process during my tenure as Member Finance, as they say, than why they don’t put it back on track as it has been six months since I left the Authority.”