Of misappropriations: Eleven ‘Illegal’ computer labs set up in colleges

At least 93 unadvertised appointments made while setting them up.

ISLAMABAD:

The illegal establishment of a number of computer laboratories at several Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) colleges has recently been unearthed. Officials at the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) have discovered that 93 appointments were made under a project establishing 11 computer laboratories without following the proper rules and legal procedure.

Documents available with The Express Tribune show that the project to establish computer labs in federal government and model institutions of ICT was initiated in 2009. The documents further reveal that 93 employees were recruited without advertising for the vacancies, and budgets of Rs14.19 million and Rs8.24 million were approved in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The allocated amount was drawn and placed in private banks. The act of putting the amount in that account was undertaken without the approval of the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue.

Interestingly, the project was launched in December 2012, whereas the amount was withdrawn in 2011. Although the laboratories had not been set up at this time, the FDE was requested to formally recruit the employees, who were then withdrawing salaries for over a year.

The findings of the investigation stated that the procurement and development department had not initiated the process of transferring the posts for this project from the development to the non-development budget. This made it legal to convert the new employees’ job status from contractual to permanent.

The report observed that since it was a one-year project, it could not be extended due to non-availability of funds. Staffers hired under the project include 28 computer lecturers, 15 laboratory in-charges and 50 lab attendants.

The report recommended that the contracts of these employees not be extended and disciplinary action be taken for the negligence of ex-director administration Muhammad Shahid Khan and the planning and development (PD) director.

“The PD director should be asked to explain why he delayed the process of transforming the status of employees to permanent and converting project costs to the non-development budget,” the report proposed.

It also urged FDE Director General Shahnaz A Riaz to inquire why money was transferred from one development project to another against the rules.

Riaz refused to comment on the issue specifically but said that there were several issues at FDE which were being addressed.

Khan, who is currently the principal of Islamabad Model School for Boys, stated that everything had been done on merit and in keeping with the rules.

“Approval was given by the then-DG and Capital Administration and Development Division secretary and everybody was on board,” he said. He said it was a ‘mistake’ on the part of the FDE that led to the project not being converted in time, putting the future of employees in limbo.

Sources at the FDE have revealed that Rs3.58 million in funds for a development project for FG Degree College for Women, Kot Hathial, Bhara Kahu had also been diverted to meet the expenses of this project.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2014.