Lahore: The Punjab government has made it mandatory for the officials concerned to seek the approval of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prior to commencing with the tender finalisation for the construction of megaprojects in the province, a news source reported.
As per government officials, the aim of this policy is to remove the political hurdles impeding the development of mega constructional pursuits. The officials claim that frequent political interference causes unnecessary delays in the execution of developmental initiatives. Moreover, competent contenders face discrimination during the tender process due to rampant favouritism in bureaucratic circles.
To address these pressing concerns, the executive has empowered the provincial chapter of the accountability watchdog to review the documentation of all mega projects in its bid to ensure transparency and eliminate unwanted delays in the tender process.
Previously, bureaucratic and political hurdles had delayed the development of 13 of the megaprojects introduced by the provincial governments. The said initiatives are estimated to cost more than PKR 62 billion to the executive for which it has yet to issue funds.
