In a bid to check irregularities in the execution of development activities in TMAs and ensuring transparency, Punjab CM has approved certain amendments in TMA Works Rules 2003. This was stated by DGPR in an information received here on Sunday.
Under the amendments, it has been made mandatory upon the concerned engineer to visit the site personally, take photographs of it and make them part of the rough cost estimate/PC-1. Presently, District Development Committee is competent to accord administrative approval to development schemes costing upto Rs 20 million but this limit has been enhanced to 50 million as per the amendments approved by the CM.
Presently, a contractor registered with one TMA could not take part in tendering the process of another TMA. Now, any registered contractor will be able to take part in the tendering process in all TMAs in a district. Meanwhile, it has been made mandatory upon the TMAs to issue tender dorms to all the registered contractors free of cost. Besides, the forms will be available at the web-site of Local Government & Community Development Department.
At present, various authorities are competent to approve registration of contractors. Now, a committee of the TMA will be formed to approve registration of contractors under various categories. According to the amended TMA Work Rules, it also has been made mandatory to publish the tenders in at-least two national dailies through DGPR.
Khizer Hayat Gondal, Secretary Local Government informed that Local Government Department had proposed the amendments in TMA Works Rules 2003 to rule out chances of corruption and make development schemes more transparent and the CM has approved the same. Now, no one will be able to get funds against ghost schemes released as strict check has been ensured through physical inspection and photographs of a site. Also, no underhand approval and tendering is now as government has made it mandatory to publish the tender in national dailies.