Govt contractor uses substandard materials

Widespread bungling in repair work for 800-channel river drainage system

KARACHI:

The provincial anti-corruption court has summoned the Director and Deputy Director Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sukkur on a petition against the alleged use of substandard materials and embezzlements in public funds meant for repair work of the water barrage in Khairpur.

A hearing for the petition was held in Anti-Corruption Court in Karachi. Khalid Hussain Bhilar filed a petition against contractor Taufeeq Shah, which stated that the latter had been using faulty materials to repair a water barrage in Khairpur. Petitioner's counsel said that the Sindh government had approved repair work for 800 river drainage systems (RDS) for Rs25 million. According to the plea, the approved government contractor used faulty materials in the repair work. At the same time, the scheme could not be completed despite a lapse of three months. Due to incomplete RDS, water could not reach the farmers. The petition further said that the farmers had been facing financial loss due to corruption and negligence of the government contractor. The court directed the director and deputy director of ACE Sukkur to confirm the allegations. Further hearing was adjourned for an indefinite period.

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A high level meeting of the Sindh ACE, held earlier, approved the registration of corruption cases and open inquiries against officers of Grade 17 and above of the Sindh Education Department, Public Health Engineering Department and Board of Revenue, Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2022.