By Hafeez Darwaish
| Daily World Tribune | Islamabad
A tender opened by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on 6 August 2025 for the opening of clogged water drains across various sectors has yet to see the publication of its bid evaluation report on the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) or the CDA’s own electronic procurement system, despite regulatory requirements to do so.
The contract involves routine maintenance work — primarily human labour to clear drainage blockages and a small dumper to remove retained slush — a task insiders describe as “straightforward” and not technically complex. Yet, contractors and observers note that the tender documents set out technical conditions that appear unusually restrictive for such nature of work, potentially limiting competition.
According to Rule 35 of the PPRA Rules, procuring agencies are required to announce the result of bid evaluation in the form of a final report, with justification for acceptance or rejection of bids, at least 15 days before the award of the procurement contract. While the rule allows the full 15-day window, in practice many agencies release these reports within days of bid opening to ensure transparency and maintain public trust.
Nine days after the bid opening, however, no evaluation report has been made public. The delay has given rise to speculation among contractors and sector insiders. Some allege that the tender may be awarded at 30–40% above the estimated cost, with lower bidders being disqualified on technical grounds, purportedly to favour a contractor said to be linked with a senior works official.
Daily World Tribune reached out to CDA’s Director General Works, Faisal Raza Gadi, for clarification. In a written response, he stated:
> “Tenders shall be awarded on merit, which will be the lowest bidder. And same shall be uploaded on EPAD. There is a technical committee who finalizes the bid.”
The Deputy Director concerned did not respond to specific questions on the tender evaluation timeline, instead directing inquiries to the grievance redressal committee — a body that normally addresses contractor complaints, rather than routine public disclosure obligations.
Procurement experts point out that drain cleaning contracts typically require minimal equipment and manpower, and that excessive technical conditions — if not justified by project scope — can effectively narrow the pool of eligible bidders. “If the work is not highly specialized and still contains unusually high eligibility thresholds, it warrants a closer look,” one former PPRA official told this paper, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The CDA has previously faced criticism over delayed publication of evaluation reports, a practice transparency advocates say can undermine public confidence. In this case, with six days remaining until the PPRA’s maximum 15-day disclosure limit, stakeholders are urging the agency to expedite the release of results and justify any restrictive technical criteria.
