ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to re-issue the tender for the Shaheen Chowk underpass project after receiving only one bid, which was later rejected. Officials say strict eligibility conditions discouraged most contractors from participating in the process.
According to a newspaper report, a CDA spokesperson confirmed, ‘Only one bid was received, which has been rejected. We are going for re-tendering.’ It is still unclear whether the same criteria will be used for the new round of bidding.
As per CDA’s procedure, technical bids are opened first and evaluated, followed by the opening of financial bids before the contract is awarded. However, the sole bidder began initial bore testing at the project site without receiving official work orders. The CDA later canceled the bid on the same day and announced fresh tendering.
The Shaheen Chowk project, worth Rs1.3 billion, includes the construction of an underpass at the intersection of Khayaban-e-Iqbal and 9th Avenue. The project is expected to be completed in 180 days.
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However, the eligibility criteria required bidders to score 40 out of 100 marks based on past and ongoing work experience. Companies could earn 20 marks for completing a Rs1.5 billion project within 100 days in the past five years, and another 20 marks if they were currently working on a project of the same value.
Sources said very few private firms could meet these tough conditions, which is why only one contractor, who recently completed another CDA project, submitted a bid.
Contractors also raised concerns that the CDA did not include the project’s design drawings in the original tender documents released two weeks earlier. The drawings were only uploaded on July 9, just two days before the bid opening, after some contractors protested.
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This is not the first time the CDA has set such strict criteria. Similar conditions were used for the Serena Interchange (later renamed ‘Jinnah Square Interchange’) and the F-8 Interchange.
Both projects later faced technical problems. The F-8 Interchange’s design is still being questioned, and the Jinnah Square Interchange has ongoing drainage issues.
An official criticized the CDA’s urgency, saying, “Projects like underpasses and interchanges are meant to last decades. Rushing them can cause long-term problems.” He suggested that instead of tough rules, the CDA should allow more companies to bid to get better rates through competition.
On the other hand, a CDA official defended the policy, saying it was aimed at hiring experienced firms to avoid delays, control costs, and ensure quality work for public benefit.
