Cooking the books :Lyari varsity mired in corruption allegations

Institution functioning without a permanent vice chancellor for two years

KARACHI:

While academic institutions are expected to uphold the highest ethical and professional standards, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University in Lyari is witnessing a significant decline on all such indices.

The absence of a permanent vice chancellor for the past two and a half years has left the university mired in corruption allegations, particularly concerning the procurement of exam booklets, resulting in millions of rupees in losses for the publicly funded institution.

Reports indicate that officials responsible for the purchase of exam booklets bypassed the tender process, incurring a loss of over Rs 5.5 million. It is alleged that these officials sourced exam booklets from preferred vendors without issuing a tender. Sources privy with the matter suggest that the officials involved wield considerable influence, prompting the university administration to refrain from direct action and instead recommend the case to the Department of Universities and Boards for referral to the Anti-Corruption Department. However, the department advised the university to present the matter to the syndicate first.

The acting Vice Chancellor of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University,commonly known as Lyari university, Dr. Amjad Siraj who also serves as the permanent Vice Chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, told the Express Tribune that an inquiry can be requested to the Department of Universities and Boards to look into the matter. However, it is at their discretion to carry one out.”

When asked about the matter, former Secretary of the Department of Universities and Boards, Noor Ahmed Samoo, noted, “We advised the university to first bring the matter to their syndicate. The syndicate’s decision should then be acted upon.”

Interviews with several sources suggest that the lack of a permanent vice chancellor and the unavailability of the acting vice chancellor may have allowed finance and procurement officials to exploit the situation, inflating prices for annual and semester exam booklets.

The purchase order was split to avoid tender issuance, involving the university’s engineering and finance departments. According to details available with the Express Tribune, a vendor named ‘High-Tech Construction’ was inexplicably awarded an order for 7,500 booklets.

The Audit and Inspection Committee, formed by Dr. Amjad Siraj, revealed that the university dished out upto Rs 58 per booklet from various vendors without a tender, significantly higher than market prices. The committee’s report, led by convener Waja Kefah Karimdad, highlighted the involvement of the acting Assistant Engineer and the Deputy Director of Finance in approving these purchases.

The committee observed that the booklets were delivered in batches, not simultaneously, despite the exam department continuously requesting supplies. The audit further revealed an overbilling of Rs 5.974 million, with inflated prices for both 12-page and 24-page booklets compared to market rates.

In its report, the committee, comprising Sajan Khokhar, Mirza Waseem, Abdul Hafeez, and Musharraf Kashif, concluded that significant financial misconduct had occurred, implicating various departments. The findings, sources said, have been submitted to relevant investigative bodies for further scrutiny.