By ADRIAN MWANZA
BABA Drilling the contractor that has been caught up in the controversial K500, 000 contract to drill seven solar boreholes in Muchinga, has cried foul over assertions that the project was overpriced.
Baba Drilling director Manoj Khurma said that it was unfair for individuals with ulterior motives to claim that the prices were inflated because they did not understand the scope of work involved in the project.
Mr Khurma said there was a very wrong narrative about the project because most people thought the contract only involved the drilling of the 10, 000 litre boreholes.
He said the money was not even enough because the scope of work was quite broad as it comprised a number of aspects like making the road network, fencing the area and even constructing the irrigation system in the remote areas.
Mr Khurma said that it was malicious to indicate that the contract was dubiously acquired when they followed the correct procedure.
He said that the contract was signed last year when the Kwacha rate was at K22 and that the equipment which was being used was costly as some materials were even reaching K80, 000.
Mr Khurma said they were also working with institutions like USAID which was a reputable organisation.
And Minister of Green Economy Collins Nzovu said that he had not seen the contract and that there was need for him to first look at the figures.
Mr Nzovu however said that he did not want to make comments without getting to the bottom of the matter.
The firm is constructing solar powered boreholes in Mpika, Chama, Kanchibiya, Lavushimanda and Isoka.
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