HEC violates transport monetisation policy

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has ‘gifted’ seven cars to its employees under the cover of transport monetisation policy, which is not applicable to autonomous bodies, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.
A source in the HEC said that in sheer violation of the monetisation policy, the commission recently sold seven cars to its employees, including two Toyota Corolla and four Cultus.
The source said that initially, HEC Chairman Dr Javed Laghari opposed the summary, but, later, he approved it on the request of some senior employees.
The monetisation policy is meant for civil servants working in (BPS 20 to BS-22) in the ministries, attached departments and divisions. The facility is not allowed to autonomous bodies, however, in sheer violation of the rules, the HEC sold the vehicles to its employees.
The source said that the commission sold Cultus Cars at the price ranging from Rs 180,000 to Rs 200,000 while Toyota cars were given at the prices ranging from Rs 270,000 to Rs 290,000. The HEC’s senior officers, Javed Khan and Talat Khursheed, are also among the beneficiaries.
When contacted, HEC Executive Director Dr Sohel Naqvi confirmed that the HEC had adopted the monetisation policy, however, he said the commission didn’t sell eight vehicles under this policy. “We adopted the transport monetisation policy and I think only one officer was given a car not eight,” he said.
When he was asked that autonomous bodies were not allowed to sell cars under the monetisation policy, he claimed the HEC had followed all the rules. It is relevant to note here that HEC is an independent body.
Even last year, when the government proposed to devolve the commission to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the commission strongly opposed the move, saying it is an independent body, which could not be devolved to the provinces under the rules.