Education dept accused of clandestine dealings

Irregularities in the purchase of biometric machines, development of campus facilities have called for an inquiry

KARACHI:

Academic institutions operating on government funds are directly answerable to accountability watchdogs for the scale and nature of their expenditures on technological upgrades, campus facilities and teacher training yet for many colleges operating under the Sindh School Education Department, no system of check and balance exists for probing into the financial decisions made by the administration.

Since the past three years, oral accounts of corruption at the Sindh School Education Department have been frequently making rounds however, in recent times the surfacing of documented evidence identifying financial irregularities in the purchase of biometric machinery, training of teachers, investment on sports and extra-curricular facilities, upgradation of furniture and refurbishment of digital libraries has led to the involvement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and the Anti-Corruption Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), who have initiated an inquiry into the matter.

“Apparently, there is an invisible force, which has encouraged the principals of almost all colleges to purchase expensive biometric machines from the same seller. Despite our search efforts, we have been unable to identify the terms of the contract. We also have no idea of how much money has been taken out from the reserves of the School Education Department only to be put into the pockets of unidentified businessmen,” anonymously revealed the principal of a college listed under the concerned department.

According to sources of The Express Tribune, a notification was issued on December 13, 2023 by the Secretary of College Education Sindh, Sadaf Sheikh, directing the formation of a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the purchase of overpriced biometric machines, worth Rs70,000 each from a single supplier, Power Solutions Private Limited.

Allegedly the preliminary inquiry into the irregularities and violations of rules was initiated after the Central Leader of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association, Professor Shahjahan Pehnoor and the former Principal of the Government Degree Boys College in Ghotki, Abdullah Bhutto complained to the department several times after presenting adequate evidence in support of their case, against Rashid Khoso, former assistant Director and current Deputy Secretary at the College Education Department, who had made phone calls for the procurement of the machines, but refused to disclose details on the transactions to the inquiring officer.

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When The Express Tribune contacted Solangi to inquire about the matter, he blatantly denied all claims of an ongoing inquiry and assured that he remained cleared by the department of any malpractice.

On the other hand, complainant Professor Shahjahan Pehnoor, dismissed Solangi’s feign of innocence by confirming that he had recently been summoned by the inquiry committee to record his statement, and the concerned Deputy Secretary was also present there. “The committee has registered a complaint on the matter,” affirmed Pehnoor.

While the surfacing of financial discrepancies in the purchase of biometric machines has caught the attention of the inquiry committee, several other cases of alleged corruption within the College Education Department, remain unaddressed.

For instance, despite the release of Rs90 million by the Sindh government for the conduct of co-curricular activities, scientific experiments and sports leagues in colleges, there is no verification process for ensuring proper utilization of the funds.

Moreover, funds worth Rs67 million had also been released for the establishment of digital libraries in colleges. However, soon enough a violation of the rules led to the placement of sanctions on the purchase of specialized machines and other equipment for the library.

Furthermore, sources also claim that a whopping budget of Rs29.7 million had been allocated for the teacher training program, for covering all expenditures on organizing the sessions, including the travel fares of the teachers and coaches. Unfortunately, the training workshops too could not be a success.

In an attempt to inquire further on the discrepant dealings of the department, The Express Tribune tried contacting the current Secretary of Education, Sadaf Sheikh, but she refused to comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2024.