QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court Friday stayed opening the financial bids of 23 dams (Package-IV) participating contractors till final adjudication of petition, questioning the legality of bidding process.
A division bench of the Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Abdul Hameed Baloch said in written order in the matter saying, “In order to avoid any complication as well as multiplicity of litigation, the respondents are restrained from opening financial bids of 23 Dams (Package-IV) on September 20 and same shall not be opened till further orders by this court”.
The bench wrote in its order that during arguments it revealed that before issuing notice on August 27,2021 for inviting tenders/invitation to the bid for 23 Dams (Package-IV) by the Project Director Construction of 100 Dams in Balochistan, pre-qualification process of the contractors/firms/JVs was conducted in April 2021 but relevant documents including publication made for pre-qualification of the contractors/firms/JVs for 23 Dams (Package-IV) have not been filed by the respondents with their para-wise comments.
It is pertinent to mention that the government of Pakistan through Balochistan irrigation department has invited application to pre-qualify contractors for construction of 23 dams in various districts of Balochistan under Package-IV of the project which is known as construction of 100 Dams in Balochistan Package-IV (23 Dams) Project.
While inviting applications for pre-qualification, the department said that objectives of the sector are to harness flood flows for direct irrigation, groundwater recharge, agriculture development, flood protection and poverty alleviation with the construction of dams through environmentally acceptable and sustainable projects.
During the course of proceedings on Friday, the bench issued directives to the Additional Advocate General of the province to place relevant documents including publication made for prequalification of the contractors/firms/JVs of 23 Dams (Package-IV) before the court during the next date of hearing.
Project Director Construction of 100 Dams in Balochistan informed the bench that his office has fixed September 20, for opening the financial bids of the participating contractors/firms/JVs of 23 Dams (Package-IV). However, the bench restrained the department to not open the financial bids till further order of the court.
Later, the bench adjourned hearing of the matter till September 21.
