LAHORE, Sept 1: The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency paid Rs177,330 for glazed tile work in a mosque at Mozang Chungi after 12 years on the intervention of the Punjab ombudsman.

Contractor Ghulam Hasnain lodged a complaint with the ombudsman secretariat submitting that he was awarded contract for the construction of the mosque in May 1995. He was directed to install glazed tiles in the mosque and he did so but the agency refused to make payment for the same on the grounds that administrative approval had not been obtained. He requested the ombudsman to direct Tepa to clear his dues.

The Tepa administration and finance directors submitted that the mosque had been relocated during the widening of Mozang Chungi Chowk. The bill could not be entertained because the tile work was carried out on the façade and inner side without technical sanction, prior administrative approval and issue of work order.

The contractor said in his rejoinder that he had fixed tiles on the instructions of the engineer-incharge who had verified his bills.