75% of the contract workers hired
for the Haripur campus were
non-locals.
HARIPUR:
The Hazara University (HU) vice chancellor (VC) has ordered a probe into alleged misuse of financial and hiring powers by the university’s former project director, sources said on Wednesday.
A four-member committee headed by the newly-appointed VC, Nasir Ali Khan, is collating documentary evidences and will submit the findings to the Provincial Minister for Higher Education Qazi Muhammad Asad within two weeks.
According to the sources, when the Haripur campus of Hazara University was upgraded to a full-fledged university last year, the Project Director and Assistant Professor of Environment Sciences Dr Abdullah was asked to serve as acting VC till a permanent appointment was made.
Although he was not authorised to make appointments in absence of a mandatory selection committee, yet he appointed over 60 contract workers of different cadres within a week time, thus violating the rules of appointment, the sources added.
Furthermore, the sources said that 75% of these contract workers were non-locals, while under the rules, the locals had to be given priority. This invited criticism from the district-based political parties and media.
The Higher Education Department had allocated Rs30 million for repair, renovation and construction of offices and classrooms. According to the sources, some insiders who were keeping an eye on the financial and hiring affairs lodged a complaint against the former project director-cum-acting VC, accusing him of misusing these funds.
When approached, the minister confirmed that he had ordered inquiry into all the financial dealings and administrative decisions by the former project director.
He replied to a question, saying that Dr Abdullah was not appointed as project director on his recommendation and that the former VC would face legal action if the violations were proved. He further said that the project director was supposed to accord preference to the locals while making fresh appointments.
Meanwhile, both the new VC Dr Nasir Ali Khan and the former Project Director Dr Abdullah were not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2013.
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