Diplomatic Shuttle Service contractor defaulting on Rs180m.

Byline: Kashif Abbasi

ISLAMABAD -- The Diplomatic Shuttle Service for visa seekers is once again facing a controversy as without depositing a major chunk of the amount the contractor is operating the buses.Visa seekers, who have to travel in coasters from a terminal near Diplomatic Enclave and back, are charged Rs500 per trip. The enclave houses foreign missions and embassies.

Sources in Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) said the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) in Feb 2017 had awarded the contract for three years against Rs93 million per year.

According to the contract, the contractor was supposed to pay Rs23 million after every three months.

Contractor was supposed to pay Rs23m after every three months, say officials

However, the sources said the contractor was defaulting on Rs180 million but running the facility even though only a few months were left in completion of the contract. The sources said the service could not be run without depositing the amount.

They said after defaulting on the first installment, the DMA should have taken over the project.

The sources said in February this year a 'final notice' was issued to the contractor for clearing the Rs93m outstanding at that time within seven days.

The notice read: 'It has been decided by the competent authority to serve you final notice to pay the amount within seven days positively, failing which the case will be referred to CDA special Magistrate/Collector for recovery under CDA Land Revenue Act 1969.'

MCI officials said there were also reports that the contractor had been charging Rs1,000 per passenger from the visa seekers against Rs500 as per agreement.Meanwhile...