MULTAN: Punjab Archaeology department Director General has cancelled tenders of a dozen schemes for conservation of monuments across the province including three in south Punjab and called fresh bids on Oct 22.
An Official who did not want to be identified said that the tender process held on September 17, 2021, has been cancelled due to complaints.
Total twelve schemes included three schemes for conservation of monuments in South Punjab.
The monuments to be conserved in south Punjab included Sher Shah Suri Bawli at Wan Bhachraan in Mianwali to be completed at a cost of Rs 10 million, tomb of King Tahir Khan Nahar of Seetpur, district Muzaffargarh (Rs 20 million), and the mausoleum of Hazrat Sheikh Sadan Shaheed, famed as angels’ tomb or ‘Farishton Ka Darbar’ among locals in district Muzaffargarh (Rs 12 million).
A Bawli is actually a well with stairs going down to have access to water and rest rooms or cavities carved inside the walls of the well. A number of Bawli were built by Sher Shah Suri along the grand road built in his times and these Step Wells were a worthwhile source of comfort for the travellers at deserted places to take a nap in coolest atmosphere and drink cool and clean water before moving forward. A sum of Rs 10 million was proposed for the Wan Bhachraan Bawli.
A sum of Rs 12 million has been proposed for conservation of mausoleum of Hazrat Sheikh Sadan Shaheed, a marvel of artful brick work decorated with Quranic Verses and designs in Muzaffargarh district.
Another Rs 20 million has been proposed for conservation of tomb of King Tahir Khan Nahar in Seet Pur, district Muzaffargarh. The above mentioned schemes had entered the tender process after technical sanction by the competent authority.