Rs 50-mn Nullah Leh roofing project in doldrums

Rawalpindi: The Asian Development Bank–funded Rs50 million project to roof Leh Nullah over from Ghaznavi Road to Jamia Masjid Road is in the doldrums, as almost all firms are staying away from the project demanding that the tender cost be raised from 15 per cent to 27 per cent.

Sources in Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project (REIP) told on Monday that the department had prepared the project last year and budgeted Rs50 million for its execution but no firm was willing to undertake the project saying that it would bring them no profit.

The REIP had invited tenders in May, July, August, September, December, 2007 and January 2008 for desilting and dredging of the nullah, laying one meter deep concrete bed and roofing it over but the firms are staying away from the project.

They said during a meeting in February this year the contractors told the REIP officials that since the site was located in a thickly populated area it would be difficult for them to move machinery there leaving them with the only option to launch the project manually.

They said the REIP had informed the Asian Development Bank (ADB) about the situation and were also negotiating with the contractors to launch the project.