KARAK (Qaisar Bukhari): Massive irregularities have been unveiled in the Communication and Works Department (C&W) Karak regarding tenders that were allegedly awarded to contractors with higher bids.
Recent revelations about these irregularities, violations of rules, and the loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer in the tenders of the Communications and Works Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have sparked a new controversy. This situation has also become a considerable challenge for the new provincial minister, Shakeel Khan.
According to sources, the final results of the recent tenders revealed that several contractors who submitted bids below 10 per cent and 20 per cent were either ignored or disqualified on various grounds. In contrast, preferred contractors who offered bids above 10 per cent were deemed qualified, and work orders were issued at these higher rates.
Furthermore, sources allege that work orders were backdated despite a stay order issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPPRA), raising serious concerns among the contractor community.
As a result of this situation, it is estimated that the government exchequer will incur an additional loss of about Rs 38 crore. Affected contractors are demanding a transparent, impartial, and high-level inquiry into the matter to uncover the facts and hold the responsible parties accountable.
In response to these developments, the contractor community is considering holding an emergency press conference to announce its future course of action.
It is pertinent to mention that the provincial government has claimed to uphold transparency and merit in government contracts; however, recent allegations have cast serious doubts on these claims.
