THATTA, July 24: The public health engineering department in Thatta has sought permission from the DCO, Thatta, Usman Panhwar, who is also the project director of the Thatta Beautification Plan, to blacklist four construction companies.

They have also sought permission to seize their call deposits, amounting to Rs2.2 million, in favour of the department for incurring huge losses to the national exchequer through the work on the Thatta drainage scheme, entrusted to them in 1997.

Shamsuddin Shaikh, the project engineer of the Thatta Beautification Plan, has mentioned in his letter to the DCO that he held meetings with M/s Aijaz Enterprises, Naween International, Amanullah and Company, and Fayaz Pathan and Company, and advised them to complete the scheme they left incomplete, despite the forwarding of bills worth Rs12.5 million in their favour.

He said that due to the incomplete conduits, the town population was facing many problems, including open manholes and dug-out trenches, especially in the vicinity of the Shahi Bazaar, and added that many people had been involved in accidents as a result of this.

Thatta Taluka Nazim Ada Mohammad on being contacted, said that not only had the scheme not been completed since the last seven years but the work done on it was so substandard that over 80 per cent of it had been reduced to rubble.

He said he has already moved the authorities concerned for instigating a fraud case against the construction companies involved.—Correspondent