LAHORE (Web Desk) – The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and other parties on a petition challenging a bid initiated by the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP) for hiring the services of 310 service providers for seven select districts in Punjab.
The court stipulated that the rights of the successful bidder are subject to the final outcome of the petition.
The petition – moved by Well Wisher Security Services, a company which participated in the bid, through its counsel Ch Shoaib Saleem – was taken up by Justice Muzamal Akhtar Shabbir.
The petitioner argued that, according to the bidding documents, the lowest bid must be evaluated and compared with others based on provincial labour laws, a mandatory requirement under Rule 55 of the PPRA.
Ch Shoaib, the petitioner's counsel, asserted that the bid declared successful was patently illegal as it offered the wages for each security official/caretaker below the minimum wages notified by the Punjab Labour Department.
He contended that, given the funding by the World Bank to the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP), the health department must have adhered transparently to local laws to ensure the project's success and attract more international funding.
The counsel further argued that the service provider was obligated to have security staff certificates for training in firefighting, anti-terrorism, parking management and crowd management, berating the health department for its alleged intention to employ unskilled staff, undermining the project's international standards.
The petitioner stated that, according to the bidding documents, the scope of services includes adherence to labor laws, minimum wages, social security and EOBI for employees. The petitioner questioned the health department's eligibility for the final contract if it failed to meet labour law criteria during the bidding process.
It also questioned the legality of the bid evaluation process and the criteria used by the health department to indicate an intention to award the contract.
After considering the petitioner's arguments, the court issued notices to the respondents for a hearing on Monday, Jan 1 next year, stipulating that the final rights of the parties are subject to the court's ultimate decision.