ISLAMABAD, June 26: The contractor selling tickets to visitors to Marghazar Zoo has locked horns with its management over revision of contract amount.

According to sources, the Rs4.3 million contract was signed on March 27 for a period of one year.

Contractor Junaidur Rehman, while talking to Dawn, said that after the death of the female elephant the number of visitors to the zoo has reduced, causing huge loss to him. So he requested the management to revise the contract.

“The zoo’s management was not ready to listen to me nor address my problem. Therefore to preempt possible termination of my contract I moved the court of civil judge Nasar Minallah Baloch on June 21 and obtained a stay order,” he said.

He said when he handed over the copy of the stay order to Deputy Director Zoo Dr Saleem Ansari he refused to accept it saying the court should send it to him directly.

“On Tuesday, the management of the zoo instructed my employees to leave and said that now they will collect the money. I had no option but to file another application in the court which has issued contempt notices,” he said.

He said that he has also filed an application in Kohsar Police Station against the management of the zoo.

An official of the zoo requesting not to be named said that director zoo had deputed his men for collection of the entry fee.

Deputy Director Zoo, Dr Saleem Ansari while talking to Dawn said that contract worth Rs4.3 million was awarded on March 27 and according to rules the contractor had to deposit payables in three quarters.

He said the contractor had deposited Rs1.3 million as first installment but still Rs388,000 were payable as he has to pay 10 per cent security amount and six per cent income tax.

On June 27 his second installment has become payable but he obtained the stay order, he said. If he will not pay the amount, the management will not allow him to collect entry fee, he said.

The deputy director confirmed that a police officer from Kohsar Police Station came to the zoo on Tuesday but he told him that it was official matter and he should use proper channel for it.