MUZAFFARABAD, March 3: The land acquired for the construction of King Abdullah University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has finally been given to the builder after issuance of Acceptance Letter (work order) in its favour.

M/S Samboo and Sarco, a joint venture (JV) of Korean and Pakistani firms, got the contract of Rs5.554 billion project after being chosen for the job by the donor agency – Saudi Fund for Development, according to the government officials.

The relevant documents were formally handed over to the construction company in a ceremony held at the project site, located some 20 kilometres south of here along Muzaffarabad-Kohala Road in Chattar Klas by the officials the AJK University and the Saudi Fund for Development and Kuwait Fund (SFD&KF) Projects (unit established by the AJK government to execute the projects sponsored by the two brotherly nations).

The acquisition of 1000 kanal land as well as payment for permanent and temporary structures and trees to the owners had cost some Rs450 million.

Mansoor Qadir Dar, Project Director SFD&KF said that the technical and financial proposals and other relevant documents of all the four bidders, which had been pre-qualified, were provided to the donor agency which had given its ‘No Objection Certificate’ in favour of M/S Samboo and Sarco.

After NoC, the Project Steering Committee of Erra had decided to issue the Acceptance Letter (Letter of Award) to the said company, he added.

The builder, which has recently constructed four blocks in the New Civil Secretariat Muzaffarabad, had already mobilised its survey teams to the project site which had initiated soil investigation and other geotechnical studies, Mr Dar said.

The estimated completion period of the project is three years but Attaur Rehman, a representative of the construction company, told Dawn that they would try their best to complete it before the stipulated time “to the entire satisfaction of the donors.”
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, AJKU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Habib ur Rehman said that the state-of-the-art project was a great gift of King Abdullah and Saudi people to the earthquake affected Kashmiris.

“It’s the unremitting interest of the Saudi authorities that we are seeing the commencement of this vital project even after an unusually long delay,” he said.
He said that the construction contract of varsity’s Rawalakot campus had also been allotted by Erra and the project would also be completed in three years.Dawn