RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has started process of preparing revised Project Concept-I (PC-I) of the metro bus project to adjust the extra cost incurred on it.

The authority has asked the consultant, Nespak, to prepare the financial report of the project, originally estimated at Rs44.21 billion, so that it can send a revised PC-I to the Planning Commission for approval.

A senior RDA official told Dawn that by the time the project completes, the total cost might escalate, therefore it was necessary to get the revised PC-I approved in order to pay the contractors working on the eight sections in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

He said Nespak had started collecting package-wise financial details of the project which would be completed within a week or two.

“The cost of the project may cross Rs50 billion mark as the government had spent additional amount on construction of two underpasses, roads adjacent to metro bus routes and in making payments to contractors for the increase in labour cost in the wake of sit-ins staged by PTI and PAT,” he added.

The RDA official said the authority had so far distributed Rs30 billion to the contractors for the work so far completed, including procurement of elevators, escalators, glass and other material from abroad.

He said in the variation orders (VOs), the contractors would inform the government about the extra expenditure with all details like increase in price of cement and other related construction material. 

On the other hand, Commissioner Zahid Saeed, who is the project director, said a revised PC-I was being prepared as there were chances of a minimum increase under the heads of building material cost and labour charges, but it was negligible.

He went on to say: “The cost of additional work including construction of two underpasses - one at Tipu Road and the other to connect F-8 and G-8 sectors - underground electricity wires on Murree Road, Benazir Bhutto Hospital’s emergency building, bus depot for metro buses and control and command building for the bus service at Saddar, was met from the original cost (Rs44.21 billion).” 

“Yes, we have asked the consultant to provide package-wise financial details for the revised PC-I as it is to be submitted before work on the project ends,” he said.

Mr Saeed said the Rs5 billion Peshawar Mor Interchange was also part of the metro bus project, however, work on it would commence once the bus service was officially launched.

 “National Logistic Cell, the contractor of Package-II (Peshawar Mor), has taken more time on the project. The RDA has asked it to complete the metro bus corridor first and then start work on the interchange,” he said. — Aamir Yasin

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2015

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