HWSC on Anti-Corruption Establishment radar

Anti-graft body seeks record of budgetary allocations, revenues of three fiscal years

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) has sought details of budgetary allocations and revenues of three fiscal years till 2024 from Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWSC), formerly Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). An official of ACE, Shahnawaz Rahupoto, has written a letter to seek details from the corporation about a range of expenditures being paid from its coffers as part of an ongoing inquiry.

The HWSC will have to submit complete information about water supply and drainage schemes executed during the period in question including details of tenders and contractors. The establishment has also required the record of work orders, supply orders, bills, vouchers and cheques as well as the in service and out of service vehicles along with the log books.

The corporation frequently uses the power generators at the pumping stations during recurrent load shedding. It will have to submit the record of the generators and expenses incurred on maintenance, fuel and the stock registers. The bank statements, funds received and spent during rain emergencies are also required for submission. The official specifically sought the record of the corporation's Latifabad taluka section during the stint of Executive Engineer Mirza Muhammad Ali Baig. The copies of all bills, quotations and modes of payment to contractors in addition to information about nine particular contractor firms have also been sought.

The ACE's official stated that they have received complaints against Baig and some other officials. Names of AH Traders, Siddiqui Traders, Faizan Enterprises, Huzaifa Traders, Arhan of Abid Kareem Qaimkhani, KK&Co, Qasim&Co, AA Enterprises, Rehan Brothers and RT Enterprises are stated in the letter. An official informed that the corporation started compiling all the required details soon after receiving the letter on December 5.

The corporation received a somewhat identical correspondence concerning Baig and the private firms from ACE Karachi on November 20. The record of appointment, joining, transfer and posting notification, promotions, service book, qualification, fitness certificates and five-year bank statements of Baig, Mirza Arif Ali Baig and Mirza Mustafa Ali Baig have been required as well.

Meanwhile, the HDA Mehran Workers Union in a separate letter to the Managing Director of HWSC has called for conducting a commercial audit of the income and expenditures of the corporation in fiscal 2023-24. The union's general secretary Muhammad Aslam Abbassi asked where Rs175 million were spent after receiving the said amount from the provincial government.

He claimed that the Sindh government made quarterly payments of Rs240 million to HWSC against the water connections provided to the public sector consumers. According to him, the employees have not been paid salaries and pensions of a cumulative period of nine months.