August 18, 2007	Saturday	Sha’aban 4, 1428

RAHIM YAR KHAN, Aug 17: The tehsil nazim has cancelled the award of millions of rupees tenders by Tehsil Municipal Administration officials after contractors took a strong exception to the procedure and termed it a violation of the rules.

Tenders for at least 237 projects worth Rs60 million were to be awarded on Thursday, but several TMA contractors met Tehsil Nazim Mian Ijaz Aamir and registered their protest.

According to the contractors, the whole procedure for tenders was not transparent. They alleged the TMA officials had issued these tenders in violation of the rules due to which they could not participate in the bidding properly.

They accused the TMA officials of nepotism by awarding tenders to their favourite contractors. The delegation submitted an application to the tehsil nazim on which he cancelled the tender process.

The tehsil nazim assured the contractors that any irregularity or illegality would not be tolerated.

A contractor, Zulfiqar Gill, accused Tehsil Officer (Infrastructure and Services) Sheikh Munir Akhtar of awarding tenders on a political basis.

When the TO was contacted, he claimed that he had never committed any irregularity.

ARRESTED: A peon of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) blood bank was arrested after he demanded a Rs1,000 bribe for supplying blood to a patient’s relative.

Ijaz Husain of Shahi Road needed blood for his patient in the labour room. When he contacted the SZH blood bank established by the Punjab Blood Transfusion Department, a peon, Bashir Ahmad, demanded Rs1,000 to supply him the blood.

Ijaz informed SZH and Medical College principal Dr Eice Muhammad on which he started monitoring the blood bank affairs. When Ijaz went to blood bank again, Bashir demanded the money on which a security officer arrested him receiving the gratification.

Dr Eice said the department had been informed time and again about such complaints, but to no avail. However, he said dishonest officials would be dealt with strictly.