PACO gives contractor two weeks ultimatum

Government has issued a two weeks ultimatum to Chipata based  CCCL Contractor working on the damaged  Mwase dam in Senior Chief Mwase’s chiefdom in Lundazi district.

ZANIS in Lundazi reports that Eastern Province Acting Provincial Agriculture Co-ordinator  Kennedy Kanenga issued a two week ultimatum to CCCL Company during a site meeting held at Mwase dam on Wednesday this week, for failing to complete work on schedule.

Mr Kanenga said government will not tolerate laziness and fake contractors who want  to frustrate projects and warned that his office will not hesitate to terminate any contract, if the contractor fails to meet the contract date.

Mr Kanenga said government this year released  K885,000=00 and CCCL  Company won the contract to rehabilitate the Mwase dam and that the company moved on site last April.

He said the rehabilitation works should have been completed by July 2014 but that because of laziness it had stalled hence the two week ultimatum.

He disclosed that though only 65 percent of work has been done so far, CCCL  has been directed to complete the remaining works by next month in Novemberfailure to which government will terminate the contract.

He said named some of the works remaining as opening of a new spill-way, construction of first and second seal spill-way, construction of masonry wall  using  rocks, concrete stepping  spillway  to reduce verocity, earth backfilling and embarkment to raise it to 1.8 meters high, environmental mitigation by planting trees and vertiver grass along dam base.

The contractor is also expected to undertake community training on dam maintenance..

Meanwhile, Director of CCCL Company Charles Chinda complained about delayed funding from the government.

Mr Chinda said this had contributed to the late completion of the rehabilitation works but assured that with improved funding works would be expedited and completed before the contract date.