Mega corruption scandal surfaces in Greater Iqbal Park

ACE registers case against former PHA director general

LAHORE: Corruption and embezzlements amounting up to billions of rupees have been unearthed during construction and renovation of the Greater Iqbal Park project has surfaced.

In this regard, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab registered a case against former director general of Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA), Greater Iqbal Park project director, Engineering PHA director, Engineering PHA deputy director and the CEO of Habib Construction Company on the charges of corruption.

The inquiry conducted by a joint enquiry team of ACE under the supervision of director (Vigilance), a loss amounting to Rs381.874 million had been caused to the national exchequer in Greater Iqbal Park project. The rate of non-schedule items had been excessively inflated as compared to the market rate to provide financial benefit to the blue-eyed and departments concerned. Additionally, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) rules had also been outrightly ignored.

The project was initiated with a contract of 981 million rupees. However, it was completed with a cost of 2976 million rupees by the same contractor. Another tendering process was not adopted.

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Corruption on a massive scale was unearthed on non-schedule items buying comprising musical dancing fountain, an audio-video system for the museum, Quaid-e-Azam hologram software,  hardware and other items.

The inquiry revealed that 11 walkthrough gates were purchased at a cost of Rs756,000 per gate and 98 wood folding benches were purchased at a cost of Rs120,000 per bench. It was also disclosed that during inquiry proceedings that work amounting to Rs1.50 billion had been undertaken without getting approval in Greater Iqbal Park and the scope of the project had been expanded up to four times to provide benefit to favourites.

No tender or bid process had been taken into consideration during the process of enhancing the scope of the project. National exchequer had been ruthlessly looted by showering favours on a single contractor.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2019.