Tendering for Rs 71-cr road works challenged
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 18
The state government’s plan to start development works ahead of the celebrations to mark Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary has received a setback as a contractor has challenged the tendering process for Rs 71-crore road works being executed by the Public Works Department (PWD).
Contractor Kulwinder Singh Sehmbey filed a civil writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli have issued a notice for November 21. Varinder Singh, XEN, PWD, Kapurthala, confirmed the development. “Since there has been no stay, we will only process the tenders, but will not finalise these till the next hearing,” he said.
The contractor has contended that the rules for the tendering process had been amended, which would hit small contractors. The Rs 71-crore works are scheduled to be completed before this year’s Gurpurb celebrations on November 23. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is slated to visit Sultanpur Lodhi that day to launch mega projects.
Meanwhile, dubbing the petitioner as an SAD worker, local activists and members of the Sikh community on Thursday protested outside Ber Sahib Gurdwara. “This is a bid to halt the renovation works for political purposes. Such a malicious attempt is condemnable,” said local Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema.
Local SGPC member Jarnail Singh Dogranwala dismissed the MLA’s allegations as baseless.
