While getting a go-ahead from an international consultant, Punjab Saaf Pani Company is all set to open financial bids submitted by pre-qualified bidders for the execution of the first phase of Khadim-e-Punjab Saaf Pani Programme across the province in the presence of their representatives on Thursday (today).
As many as 19 globally renowned water sector companies, which were pre-qualified by Punjab Saaf Pani Company's consultants, had submitted their technical and financial bids for the award of 14 contracts worth US 1.15 billion dollars in rural areas of 35 tehsils of 10 districts of the province, which will benefit over 23 million individuals in 7,000 villages of abovementioned tehsils on a sustained basis.
The project is to be implemented in districts of Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Kasur and Okara.
In order to ensure transparency in award of contracts, technical bids of these 19 companies were evaluated by PSPC's Engineering Management Consultants (EMCs). The process was validated/vetted by a renowned international consulting firm. After getting a nod by international consultant, PSPC's consultants are carrying out evaluation of financial bids.
PSPC would further negotiate the project cost with the lowest eligible bidders after financial evaluation of bids for the award of contracts, which would be submitted with the competent authority for final approval, said company sources here on Wednesday.
PSPC had received more than 440 pre-qualification proposals for 14 contracts from 62 international companies, some of them had collaborated with local Pakistani companies to execute the project in the form of joint venture.
Safe drinking water supply project is a mega project costing approximately US 3000 million dollars, which will cover 137 tehsils (25,000 villages) to provide basic necessity of life to over rural population in province of Punjab. This landmark programme will provide safe drinking water to every household within 0.5 km radius in a comprehensive, integrated and sustainable manner.
The project will benefit over 55 million people residing in rural and peri-urban areas of Punjab in next three years.
So far, 80 water filtration plants have been installed in five tehsils of South Punjab including Minchanabad, Khanpur, Hasilpur, Dunyapur and Lodhran as a pilot project to provide safe drinking water to 250,000 individuals.