JARANWALA:
After more than a year and a half of legal battles, procedural delays and scrutiny by multiple government agencies, the long -awaited RS3.845 billion sewer project and wastewater management in Jaranwala is finally underway.
The project, considered as a significant step to meet the objectives of climate resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN and the Pakistan government by 2030, is being executed by the Municipal Committee (MC) JARANWALA.
According to official sources, the Integral Project includes the rehabilitation of municipal services, the construction of roads and Chowks, update the drainage systems, the placement of a new sewerage network and the establishment of a wastewater treatment plant.
Additional components include the provision of liquid waste machinery, solid waste management equipment, model development, rehabilitation of green parks and belts, and the installation of a disaster management system.
An MC officer, who speaks under anonymity, revealed that the project had initially faced severe controversy.
Disputes arose during the bidding process when technical and financial offers were invited simultaneously.
Only one company was declared technically qualified, which led to other bidders to challenge the decision in the lower courts, the Superior Court of LAHORE and several government institutions, including the Anti -Corruption establishment, the Punjab Municipal Development Company (PMDFC), the Punjab Procurer Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the attached commissioner (DC).
Despite the PMDFC recommendation to include all bidders and the intervention of the World Bank through its task team leader, MC JARANWALA proceeded to open the offers in March and April 2024.
The PPRA requested acquisition records, which were not provided, which resulted in the cancellation of the bidding process.
The Superior Court of Lahore also issued a suspension in the procedure during this period.
Last year, the similar concerns of the World Bank led the Punjab Local Government Department to suspend two key MC Jaranwala officials, including the director, about the irregularities of the acquisitions.
These setbacks delayed the project and deprived more than 1.5 million residents of essential water and sanitation facilities.
However, the commissioner and assistant administrator MC Jaranwala, Rangzeb Goraya, confirmed that the project is now progressing without problems. “Civil works have been resumed. The key components such as parking shed, several roads and chowks, supply of liquid waste machinery and the disappointment of sewerage lines have already been completed in record time,” he said.
Goraya also revealed that five new PC-1 have been completed for complementary projects, including model streets, road rehabilitation and the solarization of elimination stations.
