The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has started a probe against corruption and law violations in Prime Minister Imran Khan's Ehsaas Kafalat Programme and quarantine centres set up at Lahore Expo Centre, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and Kala Shah Kaku during the lockdown.
The NAB has also sought records from the district administration and health department in this regard. The investigation team of the accountability bureau has also issued a letter to those agencies asking them to provide all the details and records in this regard. The Lahore NAB has started an investigation into allegations of corruption in quarantine centres. In this regard, records had also been sought from Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and other agencies including the district administration.
Quarantine centres, including those set up at Lahore Expo Centre, Kala Shah Kaku UET campus, were being investigated. Complaints of corruption in tenders, bidding and procurement of goods in these three locations were received by the accountability bureau.
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After examining the documents received by NAB along with these complaints, the NAB's regional board of directors had decided to conduct a regular inquiry. The NAB had also received evidence of awarding favoured persons in contracts at all the three centres.
Quarantine centres consisting of 1,050 beds at the expo centre as well as 25 beds each at UET and Kala Shah Kaku were set up. Meanwhile, quarantine centres were set up in hotels in different cities of Punjab including Lahore for people infected with the coronavirus.
Reportedly, the district administration did not make purchases under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules in the facilities at the Ehsaas programme centres, which included the provision of chairs, tents, sanitisers and other items, yet it imposed an emergency in the lockdown. Contracts were illegally awarded to pre-qualified firms. According to NAB officials, as soon as the records were received from the agencies concerned, scrutiny would be started. If any kind of violation of rules is found in the record, then immediate action will be taken as per law, the officials added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2020.
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