MINGORA: The Swat district administration on Monday awarded contract of Mingora general bus stand to a private firm through an open bidding. The contract was awarded at Rs90.5 million for one year starting from July 1, 2014 and ending on June 30, 2015.

The bidding was held at the municipal committee, Mingora, attended by Swat assistant commissioner Mohammad Ashfaq Khan and chief municipal officer Nisar Khan and a large number of contractors.

According to sources, unlike the past this time the local administration ensured merit in award of contract of the general bus stand with the aim to increase revenue of the municipal committee.

Assistant commissioner Mohammad Ashfaq said Shafique & Company offered the highest bid for the bus stand at Rs90.5 million. A few days ago, he said the administration had also awarded a six-month contract of the bus stand to another firm at Rs30.4 million that would expire on June 30, 2014.

In the past, said an official, due to involvement of influential middlemen in the bidding process general bus stand contracts were awarded at about Rs10 million annually.

“It is a remarkable achievement on part of the administration that it has successfully increased the amount to Rs90.5 million,” said the official and added that the amount would help the administration resolve longstanding issues of the city.

ANTI-POLIO DRIVE: A three-day anti-polio campaign started here on Monday to vaccinate over 400,000 children below five years of age.

Swat deputy commissioner Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah said a comprehensive security plan had been chalked out for the ongoing anti-polio campaign.