Govt refuses Circular Railway Grey Structure contract to FWO

Ibn-e-Ameer

The government has refused to appoint the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) as a single-source contractor for the construction of the Grey Structure of Karachi Circular Railway project without exemption from the board of public procurement regulatory authority (PPRA). Cabinet has noted that the Railways division has not sought exemption from PPRA to award the contract of the grey structure of the Karachi circular railway project to FWO.

Railways Division had tabled a case before the cabinet in its meeting held on August 31.

It had recommended awarding the contract to FWO as a single-source contractor.

However, the secretary cabinet had raised questions over the award of the contract to FWO as a single-source contractor for the Karachi circular railway project. He had pointed out that Railways Division had not sought the approval of the board of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

Therefore, the cabinet refused to accord approval.

The Cabinet did not accede to the request of the Railways Division to table the summary. The cabinet directed the Railways Division, to re-submit the summary, after rectifying the deficiency, for approval of the Cabinet through circulation.

Railways division had sought approval for Selecting/Appointing the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) as a single-source contractor for the construction of Grey Structure of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) as per Directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The Railways Division sought the permission of the Cabinet to table the agenda item. The Cabinet Secretary informed that the summary was deficient as it involved exemption of PPRA rules, which the Federal Cabinet could only grant on the recommendation of PPRA Board, which was missing.

He further highlighted the growing trend of tabling the summaries before the Cabinet and its Committees despite repeated instructions by the Cabinet Division to strictly comply with the Rules of Business, 1973, which envisage that no case would be included in the agenda unless received seven clear days in advance of the meeting.

The increasing tendency of Ministries/Divisions to include summaries of the Cabinet and its Committees at the last minute not only deprives the Cabinet Division of the opportunity of proper scrutiny but also the Cabinet members to study the cases for informed discussion and decisions.