ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) shelved a project to install a 65-metre-high ferris wheel in F-9 Park after wasting Rs4 million on placing an advertisement in the international press which drew no response.

A source in the CDA told Dawn that the civic agency, which had been at loggerheads with the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) over the administrative control of Fatima Jinnah (F-9) Park, placed the advertisement in four international newspapers on July 20, calling an expression of interest from international firms for installing the ferris wheel in the park.

However, the source said, not a single international firm responded to the advertisement.

As per the advertisement, the firms were asked to submit their proposals within 45 days - before September 5. As there was no response, the CDA management decided to shelve the project.

CDA placed an advertisement in four international newspapers to install the 65-metre-high wheel in F-9 Park but got no response

The ferris wheel, named ‘See Islamabad’, would have been one of the tallest in the country.

The source said as per the Local Government Act, the administrative control of Fatima Jinnah (F-9) Park should have been handed over to the MCI.

However, the CDA tried its best to retain the facility till last month when it gave its control to the MCI on the directives of the prime minister.

“Actually, when we were in a tussle with the MCI over several issues, our bosses tried to start some projects in haste. The project to launch the ferris wheel was ill-planned,” said an official of the CDA.

He said prior to the ferris wheel project, the CDA, which had also been in a tussle with the MCI over the administrative control of Marghazar Zoo, had called an expression of interest from national and international firms spending millions of rupees for the expansion of the zoo but got no response.

Interestingly, on the directives of the prime minister, the CDA also had to hand over the zoo to the MCI last month. Later, Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz was made the acting chairman of the CDA.

When contacted, Mr Aziz confirmed that the civic agency had gotten zero response regarding the ferris wheel project.

“I think this project was prepared in haste which is why it received no response. The same happened with the zoo expansion project,” he said, adding that he had shelved the project.

The chairman said he came to know that the CDA had over nine million rupees budget for placing the advertisement in the international press for the ferris wheel project. “I’m going to hold an inquiry into the matter,” he added.

When contacted, CDA deputy director (media) Malik Saleem confirmed that Rs9.7 million had been allocated for the advertisement. However, he said his department spent only Rs4.2 million, “which unfortunately went into waste as we did not get any response.”

About the expenditure on the advertisement for the zoo expansion, the official said initially Rs6 million had been set aside but “We spent around Rs2 millions and could not get any response from international firms,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2016