Balochistan to forward corruption cases to NAB

QUETTA:

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has approved to transfer corruption cases to the National Accountability Bureau.

He was chairing a high level meeting to review the performance of the CM Inspection Team. It was attended by Parliamentary Secretary Dinesh Kumar, Chairman CMIT, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development, Law Secretary and Secretary S&GAD among others.

CMIT's progress report for 2018-2020 was presented at the meeting. "1022 schemes were inspected during 2018," said the Chairman CMIT while briefing the meeting. "A total of 1,137 development schemes were inspected during the last financial year.”

CMIT recommended seven development schemes to the anti-corruption department due to various irregularities found.

"18 cases have been recommended to be referred to NAB whereas 82 cases were recommended for action under the BEDA Act," the CMIT chairman said. "The quality of 618 development schemes was declared unsatisfactory while 127 schemes as a whole were also termed unsatisfactory.

He informed the CM that 72 inquiries have been completed since 2018.

The meeting decided to refer only those schemes to NAB for which advance payments have already been made.

Further on, while addressing the meeting, CM Kamal said, "The government is moving in the right direction under a comprehensive strategy to improve governance in the province.”

He added that Balochistan is the first province to sign a MoU with NAB to eradicate the menace of corruption.

"Strict action should be taken against the elements involved in illegal activities," the CM concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2020.