KARACHI: A fresh style of bribery has emerged at the offices of Sindh Local Government (LG). Some officers of LG are extorting 15percent commission money on top of the 20 percent amount paid with the work order to the contractors for road development works, some contractors have revealed.
This story of ‘advance corruption’ was revealed by five road building contractors, who paid the massive bribe to secure the work of development projects announced by to the Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar.
They informed the Mayor that the local government has paid Rs780m to them for building five major roads in parts of the city. Out of this advance payment, the LG officers have taken a kick back of Rs 585.6m as commission money. The estimated cost of these roads was Rs 3.597bn, but for the sake of getting huge commission money, the LG had given these contracts amounting to Rs 3.904bn to them, informed the contractors.
These contracts have also been given in violation of the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s (SPPRA) rules and regulations, around 48 contractors have revealed in a joint letter written by SPPRA. These contractors have requested SPPRA to take action against the violators said rules and regulations.
Waseem Akhter asked the contractors to execute quality work and to maintain and monitor the roads’ projects very strictly. The mayor has told the contractors that he had informed CM Murad Ali Shah about the embezzlement taking place in the LGs. The estimated cost of the construction work of University Road from NED University to Safoora Chowk was Rs777m but the contract has been given for Rs 832m to Umer Jan and Company, as per the LG’s official data.
Similarly, the contract for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Tariq Road from Shaheed-e-Millat Road to Shahrah-e-Qaideen was given for Rs 569m to Sher Jan Mosa Khail and Sons, which is higher than the estimated cost of Rs 516m. The contract for construction of Hub River Road (portion) has been awarded to Sultan Mehmood and Company for Rs 658m, while its estimated cost was 620m.
Daily Times tried to contact Niaz Soomro for his version but his office said he had left for Dubai.