Rs 3.9 Crore tender for executive building raises questions over government spending priorities

A government tender worth approximately Rs 3.9 crore for maintenance and upgrades at Islamabad’s Executive Building has raised questions

ISLAMABAD: A government tender worth approximately Rs 3.9 crore for maintenance and upgrades at Islamabad’s Executive Building has raised questions about public spending priorities at a time when citizens continue to face prolonged power outages, rising living costs and heavy petroleum levies.

Official tender documents obtained by Minute Mirror show that the Executive Engineer of Central Civil Division No. IV, Pak PWD, Islamabad, has invited sealed bids for five separate maintenance and improvement projects at the building, which houses senior federal government officials.

One of the major components is a proposed critical power backup system estimated to cost Rs 12.9 million. According to the technical note, the system is intended to eliminate the brief interruption that occurs when the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) transfers the building’s electricity load between two 11kV feeders.

The document states that the transfer currently causes a power interruption lasting approximately three to five seconds. The proposed system would ensure an uninterrupted transition, eliminating the momentary disruption. The tender is scheduled to open on October 26, 2026.

Five Projects Worth Millions

The tender notice outlines five projects with a combined estimated cost of Rs 39.02 million. These include the repair and maintenance of water-cooled screw chillers at Rs 7.88 million, renovation of Library Room No. 334-A at Rs 2.59 million, and repairs to more than 35 package-type air-conditioning units at Rs 12.46 million.

The critical power backup system accounts for Rs 12.90 million, while the replacement of the swimming pool boiler and heating system is estimated to cost Rs 3.16 million.

The proposed expenditure has prompted questions about whether such spending is justified amid repeated government calls for austerity and economic discipline. Critics may question the allocation of millions of rupees to specialised facilities and uninterrupted power at a government building while ordinary households struggle with electricity costs and outages.

Questions Over the Power Backup Estimate

The estimated cost of the critical power backup system has also raised questions about its technical requirements and pricing. According to assessments attributed to independent electrical contractors and engineers consulted by Minute Mirror, a conventional automatic transfer switch (ATS), combined with an online uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for sensitive equipment, could provide a possible solution at a substantially lower cost.

The contractors reportedly estimated that a basic system could cost between Rs 800,000 and Rs 1.2 million, while a more advanced arrangement incorporating a premium 100kVA online UPS could cost up to Rs 3.5 million.

If these estimates are comparable in scope to the proposed installation, the difference warrants a detailed technical and financial explanation. However, the final cost would depend on the building’s actual load requirements, equipment specifications, redundancy arrangements, installation work and other technical conditions.

Questions also remain about the preparation of the bill of quantities (BOQ), the specifications used to calculate the estimate and the measures adopted to ensure competitive procurement. The available documents do not establish that the estimate is inflated or that any procurement irregularity has occurred.

Public Spending Under Scrutiny

The proposed expenditure comes as many Pakistanis face hours of load-shedding and mounting household expenses. The contrast between public hardship and spending on government facilities has intensified debate over accountability, austerity and the use of taxpayer money.

The tender raises an important question for the relevant authorities: whether the proposed costs are technically justified, economically reasonable and consistent with the government’s stated commitment to responsible public spending.