JHANG: The Punjab Highways Department chief engineer central has imposed a heavy fine on the contractors for their failure to complete projects in Jhang district on time and also issued notices to the project site in charges and senior engineers for lapse of funds due to their poor monitoring and supervisory work.

According to an official order by the superintendent engineer of the Faisalabad division, the construction contract of Shorkot Bypass from 3-Pull Jhang Road to Qazianwala Pul on Garh Maharaja Road (7.55km) was awarded to a contractor who did not complete the project on time.

The order stated that the contractor was served on warnings repeatedly for the timely completion of the project but to no avail. In the light of the inspection report, the chief engineer imposed a Rs2.369 million fine on the contractor.

The chief engineer warned that in case of further delay the said contractor would be charged Rs4.738 million as a penalty. Similarly, in the light of another inspection report regarding widening and improvement carpet road project from Ayoub Chowk to Boys College Chwok on Jhang-Sargodha Road, the chief engineer imposed a penalty of Rs651,000 on the contractor and in case of further delay, a Rs1.3 million fine would be slapped on the contractor.

The chief engineer said the capacity of execution of the work of the contractors in question would be revised by monitoring and ensuring availability of required machinery at the work sites.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018