Lukewarm response snags bidding for second time

MULTAN - The tenders for the uprising of flood banks of Multan are cancelled for second time as contractors have showed complete disinterest in the bidding. The government had released tenders worth Rs75 million for raising the height of flood dykes in Shujabad Canal Division but no contractor turned up to sit in the bidding. Multan is under serious threat of flood as nothing is so far done to strengthen the flood banks and increase their height while on the other hand monsoon rains have already started in upper and central areas of the country. It is feared that flood water will enter Multan city if River Chenab receives more than 3.5 lac cusec water as a six-km long link road leading to Muhammadwala bridge has cut the riverbed very short, creating an artificial lake along the left bank of the river. It may not be out of place to mention here that the Chief Engineer Irrigation Multan Zone had cancelled all the contracts of flood banks uprising a few days back as all the contracts were won by one company because of pooling technique used by the contractors. But the contractors did not take part in the bidding after announcement of new tenders. Over a dozen contractors bought the tenders and they were wanting to submit their bids but some other contractors forcibly stopped them from participation, irrigation sources claimed. On the other hand, the contractors were of the opinion that they had to work in an area with a majority of mango orchards and they could not arrange soil for their work.