Ignoring the CM

IF one goes into the story of what the Chief Minister wanted for Lahore in the monsoon, and how the bureaucracy has defied him, a new method emerges, the tender. However, there is the same old pattern of a committee, then rules not being used to expedite, but to delay. In short, the CM was told that the city was flooded because of the frequent power outages which prevented the operation of a host of pumping-related facilities. His reply was to get the required power generators. WASA already had 23 generators, rented another 22, but still fell short by 140. It went through the normal tendering process for the shortfall, even though this was supposed to be a top-priority project, and a committee headed by a secretary was set up, which decided after several meetings to go for re-tendering. The original deadline of 45 days has been increased to 90 days, but the process would probably take about four months before the 1000kW, 500kW, 300kW and 200kW generators are actually handed over to WASA. By that time, the current monsoon would be long over, and the new tender is thus for the monsoon of 2009.