PESHAWAR, Jan 31: The Frontier Contractors Association on Thursday accused executive engineer (XEN) concerned and deputy director of Building and Works Department of entering into a secret deal with two contractors for the construction of a prison at Azakhel, and has asked the government to revoke this contract.

Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference here at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, the office-bearers of the association said they had been informed that the project would now be executed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), but on Thursday they came to know that the contractors across the province were cheated by the officer concerned, “who was involved in a shadowy deal with the two contractors.”

The press conference was addressed by president of FCA Arshid Khan, vice president Lal Badshah, secretary general Inshaullah Khan and others, who were flanked by about 35 contractors.

The members said that a few days back an advertisement appeared in a local newspapers, calling for tenders for the project of construction of prison in Azakhel. The total cost of the project was Rs14 million, they claimed.

The office-bearers said that when on Wednesday they went to the office concerned, they were informed that the NWFP Governor had revoked the earlier decision and now the project would be carried out by the FWO. They added that when on the notice board an order in that respect was displayed, it did not carry the signatures of the XEN and the head clerk. “When we asked the officials to put their signatures on the said order so that it could serve as a proof with us, they refused to do so,” they added.

Arshid Khan said they were astonished on Thursday to find out that the contract had been awarded, without fulfilling the preconditions for doing so, to two contractors — Sabz Ali and Sarhad Engineering Works. They asked the NWFP Governor, who is going to inaugurate the project on Friday, to look into the wrongdoings of the officials concerned.