RAWALPINDI, Dec 13: Holy Family Hospital (HFH) bosses, who had caught a contractor stealing water and power causing loss to the tune of approximately Rs3 million, have decided not to pursue the case against him after allegedly striking a deal, Dawn has learnt.

The contractor, Chaudhry Hafeez, working on a construction project at the hospital, had been allegedly stealing water and power in connivance with the building department officials, deputed at the site to supervise the work.

These officials of the building department later acted as mediators in reaching a bargain between the contractor and the hospital administration officials.

The contractor was illegally getting power and water from the HFH main supplies. When the medical superintendent (MS), Dr Nasir Cheema, and other top officials came to know about the incident, they lodged a formal complaint with police. Later, the police seized 1,000 watts flood lit bulbs, high powered suction motors, lifts, welding plants and other electrical appliances, which were allegedly being used by the contractor.

According to sources, the hospital is presently paying on average Rs1.4 million per month to Wapda as power charges. Officials say the power bills have almost doubled eversince the work on the construction project began in March.

The contractor was also illegally using water from the hospital source. Under the rules, he was supposed to pay two per cent of the contract money as water charges that amounted to Rs1.6 million.

It has been learnt that the MS had asked the contractor and the building department officials to stop this illegal practice, but they turned deaf ear to his pleas. Therefore, he said, he was constrained to recourse to the legal option.

However, soon after registration of the criminal case against the said contractor, the building department officials started their efforts to strike a bargain deal between the two parties. Masood Ranjha, the superintendent engineer, buildings department, acted as a middle man as he pleaded the case of the contractor before the MS in presence of this scribe.

At the first instance, the MS refused to budge, but later Dawn was informed by the MS that since the contractor had agreed to pay all the charges and losses incurred to the hospital and agreed to “our terms”, the HFH administration would no longer press for the criminal charges.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the same contractor had damaged 40 horse power 4-inch delivery tubewell of the hospital located near the site of the construction project due to which the hospital is facing acute shortage of water.