Health department’s 10 officials face action under PEEDA Act

Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has ordered action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act against 10 officials of grade 16 to 20 after a scam of millions of rupees in the primary and secondary healthcare department was unearthed.

Provincial Cooperatives Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar has been appointed as inquiry officer. He will have to complete the inquiry within 60 days and submit the report to the chief minister, while the deputy secretary of the department of primary and secondary healthcare will serve as the focal person for the proceedings.

According to sources, it is suspected that the officials caused a loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer during the past two years by purchasing equipment, including laundry machines, while disregarding the rules and regulations.

The sources alleged that the orders were not issued to the well-known and qualified companies.

The officials had to buy imported laundry machinery worth millions of rupees, but they allegedly ordered cheap equipment and falsely showed it as made in the United States in the documents.

A report has been submitted to the chief minister after the initial investigation indicated corruption in the matter.

Following the approval of the chief minister, proceedings under the PEDA Act have been initiated against the employees, including some senior officers, of the Project Management Unit of the department of primary and secondary healthcare.

The officials facing action reportedly include former project director Asad Naeem, Finance & Planning Additional Secretary Omar Farooq Alvi, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Asim Altaf, Outsourcing Director Ahsan Naeem, a procurement specialist and a project manager.

According to a notification, the cooperatives department secretary has been appointed as the inquiry officer.

The officers are suspected of illegally awarding a contract and paying millions of rupees to a company that was already embroiled in a controversy.

The source said that the initial inquiry report had revealed that a key official of the company was a relative of a bureaucrat.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2021.