RAWALPINDI: District authorities, on Tuesday, warned contractors working on three metro bus packages that if they do not complete bus stations by the end of the month, their proposals will not be entertained for the Multan Metro Bus project.

A meeting was held at Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) attended by Commissioner Zahid Saeed and Metro Bus Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi. Participants, at the meeting, were informed that work on bus stations at Committee Chowk, Waris Khan, Chandni Chowk, Rehmanabad and Pakistan Secretariat in Islamabad was very slow.

However, participants were told that work on the remaining nine bus stations was likely to be completed by February 19. Officials said that despite repeated directives to the contractors, the labourers are not being made to work in two or three shifts a day.

Participants were also briefed on the progress on other construction work such as erection of steel structures, installation of escalators and elevators and electricity generators.

The commissioner expressed his displeasure over the delays and warned the contractor that the issue of slow pace of work will be reported to the Punjab government in writing. He warned that these companies will be prevented from participating in bidding for contracts of the Multan Metro Bus Project, to be launched soon.

The commissioner also directed contractors to make the labourers work in two shifts, as they would not be able to complete work in one shift. He said the RDA had formed teams to inspect work on a daily basis.

The commissioner said it is our collective responsibility to complete the work as soon as possible and urged the contractors to make sincere efforts in this regard.

Hanif Abbasi urged the contractors to employ additional construction workers to execute work faster. Contractors assured Hanif Abbasi that the work would be completed on an urgent basis.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Zahid Saeed formed a 10-member committee led by Additional District Collector Revenue Arif Raheem and Additional District Collector General Imran Qureshi to select a venue for the inauguration of the metro bus service.

The committee has been asked to select four sites for the inauguration ceremony, which would be sent in a proposal to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for approval.

“The inauguration ceremony for the metro bus service will be held after mid March and the service is likely to open on March 23,” said a senior official.

Published in Dawn February 12th , 2015

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