950809

CBR building cost

escalates by 34pc

TANVIR ZAHID

LAHORE: Central Baoard of Revenue building in Constitution Avenue in Islamabad has become the costliest office building due to frequent upward previous of its cost estimates while still for from being completed.

"This is an explicit example of lack of forward planning even when seen in the context that the importance of the building, its location and surrounding buildings all were well-known beforehand", was the comment of the experts of the Planning Commission about the scheme which was originally to cost Rs. 78.374 million in February 1991. It was revised in October 1992 at a cost of Rs. 132.740 million and second revision recently had raised the cost to Rs. 177.793 million showing as much as 34 percent increase over the last approved estimates.

The latest increase in the cost of the building, having a covered area of 102,740 square feet, has been attributed to changes in specifications suggested by the client department and to inclusion of additional items/change in the scope.

An expenditure of more than Rs. 56.207 million was stated to have already been incurred and Rs. 121.586 million were still required to complete the project.

It was also reported that besides allocations made in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), CBR was also funding the project from its own resources.

According to the information available from well-informed sources, that the quarters concerned of the Planning Commission had taken serious notice of the frequent increases in the project cost resulting from change in the scope mainly.

While withholding its approval in its recent meeting in Islamabad, the Central Development Working Party reportedly decided to refer the matter of irregular expenditure on the construction of CBR office building at Islamabad to the Public Accounts Committee for accountability of the concerned officials.