ISLAMABAD: The city managers have given the Sihala Flyover project to Frontier Work Organisation (FWO) after terminating the contract with a private company.

The flyover will be built on Kahuta Road. Sources said that on Tuesday CDA signed an agreement with FWO in this regard.

Last year, the CDA had awarded the project worth over Rs770 million to a private company, which was supposed to complete it in one year time.

However, it could not even start the project. Later on, it gave up this project while citing increase in the construction material cost, and CDA awarded the contract to FWO on same rate and terms and conditions.

CDA terminates private company’s contract after it failed to start project

“Yesterday, we signed an agreement with FWO. Soon after Eid, the new contractor will start the work on the project to complete it in one year time,” said an official of the engineering wing of CDA.

In July last year, the then prime minister Imran Khan had performed the ground breaking of the Sihala Flyover project along with Rawal Dam Interchange and Korang Bridge expansion projects.

Besides the Sihala project, Rawal Dam and Korang Bridge projects were also won by the private contractor along with another company in shape of joint

venture (JV).

However, the JV badly failed to execute these projects as Korang Bridge project was supposed to be completed in December last year.

Similarly, the Rawal Dam Interchange project which is supposed to be completed in October this year also faces delay.

The CDA had also taken these two projects from the JV and given to FWO recently to complete the projects as soon as possible.

On the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, an inquiry has also been initiated against the JV.

The prime minister while visiting Rawal Dam Interchange project recently had shown his grave concerns over delay and ordered an inquiry in this regard.

Korang Bridge project has turned the busy four-lane expressway into two lanes causing great difficulty to motorists.

But the construction company could not complete it in December. Later on four-month extension was also granted by CDA, but to no avail.

The deadline of Rawal Dam Interchange project is October this year and so far only 50pc work has been completed.

“Now, all three projects will be completed soon as FWO being major construction company of the country has potential to complete these projects in shortest possible time,” said an engineer of CDA.

He said that CDA had already signed agreement with FWO for Rawal Dam and Korang project and on Tuesday, agreement has also been signed for Sihala Flyover project.

“Though all three projects will be executed simultaneously, main focus will be on Rawal Dam as 50pc work on this project has already been completed,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2022