Diplomatic Shuttle Bus Service: CDA moves against almost-off-the-hook officials

They were earlier cleared by judicial commission, FIA and NAB probes.

ISLAMABAD:

Soon after a fact-finding committee recommended action over the slew of violations in awarding the Diplomatic Shuttle Service (DSS) project, the capital development authority has moved to initiate formal proceedings against four senior officials.

In light of the recommendations, CDA Finance Member Sher Bahadar Arbab has been tasked with charge-sheeting the quartet, which of the authorities officials including former Planning deputy director general Ghulam Sarwar Sandhu, HRD-I Director Faiz Muhammad,  former deputy director Abdul Majeed, and CDA Additional Legal Advisor Misbah Sharif.

Sandhu is currently an officer on special duty. When the contract was signed, Sandhu was serving the authority as assistant director urban planning and Faiz was assistant director municipal administration.

“The committee has started its proceedings and according to rules, the accused have been informed of the charges levelled against them,” Arbab said.

The accused officials have been informed through notices about the charges against them. “They will be given an opportunity to give their responses to the charges,” he added.

To a question, he said the process would take its due time and the committee would complete its work without any fear or favour.

Sandhu said the case was earlier probed separately by the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency. “They found nothing wrong. Consequently, the investigations were called off and case closed by both the agencies,” he said.

Even the judicial commission cleared the case in 2013, he said, hinting towards some officials within the authority who were deliberately trying to manipulate the situation.

Earlier, in the light of recommendations of a judicial commission formed by the Islamabad High Court to probe over a dozen cases related to the CDA, an inquiry committee was formed with additional secretary Naved Akhtar as its convener, joint secretary finance Naveed Alloudin as its member, deputy director CDA Rana Tariq as departmental representatives of the committee, and advocate High Court Salman Tariq as a co-opted member of the committee.

The committee recently submitted its findings to the CDA.

The report recommends proceedings against Sandhu on four main charges that include submission of falsified information to the CDA board regarding the experience of the contractor, recommending the award of contract to a firm that was the lone bidder and had an unsatisfactory performance record, developing incomplete terms of reference for the contract, and signing the agreement contrary to the terms and conditions approved by the CDA board.

The committee also recommends issuance of charge sheets to Faiz Muhammad and Abdul Majeed for allowing the contractor to operate, while it asked for initiation of required action against Misbah Sharif for not properly vetting the draft contract.

The inquiry committee has also observed violations of various rules and regulations in the case including a non-transferable contract that was awarded to one Farooq Butt in August 2003, whereas, some other contractor was operating the project at the site.

Also in August 2003, the contract was awarded at Rs2.6 million. Two year later, instead of appreciating in line with inflation, the same contract was awarded for just Rs800,000.

The committee observed that Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to award contract on build, operate and transfer basis was not carried out professionally nor was any feasibility study carried out. “CDA income decreased manifold, whereas charges to public increased tenfold”.

The CDA also extended the contractor other facilities including allotment of land measuring 4.5 acres along Third Avenue at throwaway price for the establishment of a bus station.

The committee also suggested that the CDA proceed against the contracting firm for overcharging the visitors and for other violations of the contract.

DSS was launched in 2003 to facilitate visa applicants to enter the highly fortified Diplomatic Enclave. The already controversial service made headlines when the price from a round trip suddenly jumped from Rs 20 to Rs500.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2014.