KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in the City Council Advocate Saifuddin on Saturday informed the Sindh High Court that the provincial and local authorities had awarded contracts amounting to Rs4 billion to different contractors in Karachi during one year without inviting tender and open competitive bidding on the pretext of emergency works.

The applicant, who is an elected representative belonging to the Jamaat-i-Islami, also submitted that a majority of these works — carried out in various sectors, including roads, water supply, sewerage system, solid waste management, transport, etc, in the metropolis — had been ruined due to substandard quality.

The opposition leader filed an application through his counsel Usman Farooq in the SHC to be a party to an already pending petition which impugned the work orders issued by the KMC about various development projects in alleged violation of procurement rules.

He contended that a huge amount was being spent in the name of development works in Karachi and the money involved in such works had been borrowed from the World Bank and other financial institutions under the Competitive and Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK) project and the same would have to be repaid with markup from the public kitty.

Opposition leader in City Council seeks court permission to become party in petition against alleged violation of procurement rules by KMC

The applicant also said that despite the claims of provincial and local authorities regarding such big expenditures on development, the entire infrastructure of the city particularly roads, water, sewerage and transport were in dilapidated condition and due to illegalities in awarding contracts, corruption was floating on surface of every project.

He said all these contracts had been awarded in non-transparent manner as well as in violation of the Sindh Local Council (Contract) Rules 2016.

Selection of contractors was also made on the basis of nepotism and favouritism as the provincial and local authorities had awarded contracts amounting to Rs4 billion under the pretext of emergency works to different contractors without inviting any tender, he added.

He said a majority of such infrastructure had been damaged within months after completion of these projects.

The applicant pleaded the court to allow him to become a party/co-petitioner in the matter and apprehended that the petition may be withdrawn due to pressure of respondents as he maintained that a lawsuit was filed in the SHC around two years ago by a contractor on similar issues of public interest, but was withdrawn later by the plaintiff.

He also asked the SHC to take notice of the matter and issue directives to respondents to submit all details of works which had been carried out during at least last one year.

Citing the secretary of local government department, KMC, mayor, municipal commissioner and others as respondents, the main petition was filed last month by the United Friends Contractors Association and submitted that it was a society registered under the relevant laws and aimed to promote the practice of various kinds of civil, electrical and mechanical works related to its members (contractors) and provide them protection.

The petitioner said that the contracts were awarded to the blue-eyed boys and there was no urgency shown to bypass the schemes as envisaged under the procurement laws.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2024