NTDC BoG directed to solve contract row.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the National Transmission and Dispatch Company's (NTDC) Board of Directors to decide a dispute regarding the award of a contract to a Chinese company.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi issued the order while disposing of a petition by SA-RA Energy Construction Trade and Industry, a Turkish company, against the award of the contract of Lot 1 of transmission project of 765-KV Dasu-Mansehra to Sino Hydro Corporation Ltd of China.

Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Siddiqui, the counsel for the petitioner, argued that the pre-qualification as well as bid documents and acceptance whereof by the NTDC was not only based on mala fide but in violation of an inquiry report and findings of the Ministry of Energy, Power Division.

The ministry had asked the NTDC to take disciplinary action against the general manager concerned for approving the bidding process in violation of relevant rules and regulations regarding alleged misrepresentation of facts by the successful bidder and its wrongful qualification.

The counsel said a complaint by the petitioner had not been dealt with and decided as per law. He said the award of the contract was liable to be declared illegal. However, the counsel said the petitioner would be satisfied if the respondent NTDC was directed to...