TAXILA: The deputy commissioner Attock on Tuesday cancelled all tenders for the award of contracts of 254 projects worth millions of rupees of the district council after reports of procedural violations.

Sources said some contractors enlisted with the district council had lodged complaints with Deputy Commissioner Ishratullah Khan alleging that procedure and merit was violated in the award of the 254 schemes.

The contractors, Abdul Sattar, Sherdad and Altaf, in their written complaints alleged that over 60 contracts were awarded to near and dear ones at full rates while the remaining were issued 15 to 30 per cent below the engineering estimates.

It was alleged that the deputy director development was deputed to supervise the tendering procedure on behalf of the deputy commissioner. But on the day of tendering, he was not called for supervision and the whole process was carried out in his absence.

The sources said during a probe conducted on the direction of the DC, serious omissions were noticed in the tender proceeding for the projects. As a result, all the tenders were declared cancelled by the DC.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2019