LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has floated a number of tenders for various development schemes recently despite ‘acute’ financial crunch and failure to clear pending bills worth over Rs1 billion.

While the LDA DG expressed his ignorance over the issue, sources say the practice is meant to mint money through award of projects, showing them as on-going schemes and completing them eventually in a bid to create a liability (of payment) on the part of the authority or the government. One of the tenders has really surprised officials as it is supposed to beautify streetlights with the installation of floodlights in Gulberg’s J and G blocks.

Some officials concerned in the relevant LDA sections have refused to sign the tender documents after they learnt about the illegality on the part of the urban development wing (engineering department) of the authority.

“Floating of some 60 tenders for over 100 development schemes -- with some of them floated after January 22, the day the Election Commission of Pakistan imposed a ban on launch of all schemes except the ongoing or the already approved -- has happened for the first time in the history of the LDA. It is not only absolutely unlawful but also a crime since it is being allowed to happen,” an official source deplored.

Bills worth over Rs1bn pending, DG promises to look into the matter

“It seems that no one from the LDA, its parent department (Housing & Urban Development), Commissioner, DC or the chief secretary is interested in objecting to the illegality,” the official lamented.

Tenders were floated for the rehabilitation of roads, streets in UC 85 (Rs39.152 million), rehabilitation and improvement of road in UC 84 (Rs26.152 m), rehabilitation and improvement of road in UC 200 (Rs24.770 m), rehabilitation and improvement of Bara Dari road from Begum Kot to Shahdara (Rs14.465m), rehabilitation and improvement of a link road in Shahdra (Rs18.613m), rehabilitation and improvement of another link road in Shahdara (Rs16.837m), rehabilitation and improvement of roads/streets in Niaz Baig village (Rs50m), rehabilitation and improvement of road in UC 206 (Rs47.106), rehabilitation and improvement of roads, streets and construction of boundary wall around graveyard of village Toor (Rs44.05m), rehabilitation and improvement of roads/streets in UC-88 (19.873m), purchase and fixing of streetlights at Tajpura (19.148m), rehabilitation and improvement of of roads in UC 199 (18.258m), rehabilitation and improvement of roads in UC 203 (12.284m), rehabilitation and improvement of roads in UC 206 (Rs10.792m), beautification with floodlights on poles at Gulberg (J and G block, Rs9.505m), rehabilitation and improvement of roads in UC 198 (9.626m), rehabilitation and improvement of of roads in Gulberg’s G block (6.517m), construction of bridge on Canal Road near Sundar-Raiwind road (Rs62.293m), installation of information gantries at various locations of city (Rs49.554m), installation of high-mast poles with lighting at Raiwind bypass (Rs47.457m), installation of high-mast poles with lighting at Pajian bypass (Rs47.457m), development of park at F-block (Johar Town, Rs60.088m), supply, installation and commissioning of two lifts at Lahore civil court (Rs49.753m), rehabilitation of internal roads in Johar Town (Rs80m), laying of sewerage line and PCC streets at Sidhar village near Kahna (Rs54.970 m), rehabilitation and improvement of road leading to Kahno Harni (Rs43.299m).

Tenders related to various other projects are also worth millions of rupees about which neither the LDA nor the government have no money. According to another official source, the LDA finance department is yet to clear liability of over Rs1 billion in the wake of launch of various development schemes. “Some LDA officers have also refused to sign the tender documents after they came to know about the facts that whatever is being done by the engineering wing is a crime,” he said.

LDA DG Aamir Ahmad Khan surprisingly expressed ignorance of the issue and said he would look into it soon. “I don’t know currently about a number of development schemes advertised through tenders. I also don’t know about the availability of funds,” he said, adding that he would have a meeting with the LDA’s engineering and finance wings.

LDA Chief Engineer Mr Asrar Saeed and Housing Department secretary were not available for comments.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023