Renovation cost of Laal Shahbaz Qalander’s mausoleum increases
The cost of renovating the mausoleum complex of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalander has increased to Rs1.8 billion — a figure which is more than twice the initial estimated outlay, The News has learnt.
The renovation process has already undergone two stages, with officials in the government now reviewing the second phase and planning for the third. Sources told The News that the estimated cost of Phase-III of the project was initially stated to be Rs47 million, but the revised PC-1 has put the figure at Rs1.8 billion. The project is expected to be completed during the next 18 months, and has been handed to a firm named Allied Engineering, sources added.
A park and parking yard would be constructed in the proposed scheme, while a rest house and shopping plaza have also been planned in the design, documents available with The News reveal. A water filtration plant will also be installed under the scheme, sources added.
In order to provide sufficient space to pave way for these measures to be undertaken, all encroachments surrounding the mausoleum would be removed, sources said, explaining that officials of the Board of Revenue have been issued instructions for land acquisition.
A high-level meeting on June 29, chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman, was informed that the groundbreaking ceremony of the project is likely to take place on July 15. Given the time frame, the Jamshoro district coordination officer (DCO) had been instructed to remove encroachments within the next 15 days, while the Sindh Planning and Development Department has been asked to convey the PC-1 of Phase-III to the Federal government, sources narrated.
An appraisal of work carried out in the second phase was also deliberated in the meeting, with not only legislators of the Sindh Assembly also raising the issue of “faulty” work carried out thus far, but also declared unacceptable by different forums. With President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly taking a keen interest in the project, the Sindh government’s top officials have accelerated their efforts to address the bottlenecks, sources said.
A high-level meeting was held at the Sindh Secretariat on May 4, 2010 regarding the sub-standard work carried out. Auqaf Secretary Iqbal Ahsan Zaidi reportedly informed the participants that the concerned firm, National Construction Limited (NCL), was not ready to undertake rectification work, as they were demanding that their outstanding claims pertaining to Phase-II be cleared first.
Secretary of the Implementation, Services and General Administration and Coordination Department, Muhammad Ayub Shaikh, briefed the meeting about the directives of President Zardari for implementation of work by all stake-holders. He informed the participants that the most significant directives pertained to the issue of faulty work, and completion of the exterior of the dome with gold plating in order to prevent seepage. The sub-standard work of marble tiles at Dhamal Court is also to be carried out and rectified by NCL.
The official sources said that the Chief Secretary (CS) Sindh had noted that the NCL was not following its commitment and observed that it lacked ‘professionalism’ for as per prima-facie of the issue they were required to address the issue of faulty work and carry out rectification of the ‘defective work’ but instead they have been asking for more money.
The CS reportedly went on to say that in-spite of defective work and objections over quality of work by different forums, a ‘lenient view’ had been taken as NESPAK had verified the bills of Rs3.2 million and NCL was given a chance to address the issues.
The meeting had decided to immediately pay outstanding claims of NCL amounting to Rs3.2 million as per re-verification of NESPAK as ‘adequate amount’ was lying in the account of the Project according to DCO Jamshoro/Project Director. The sources said that subsequently, the Project Director paid the claimed due to NCL.
In return, the firm was asked to ensure that the leakage in the roof of the main Dargah was stopped and also address the faulty work of marble tiles at Dhamal Court, which included grinding, polishing and cladding of the tiles.
Courtesy: The News
