Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah while reviewing the progress of Rs 106 billion on-going development schemes has directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to conduct an inquiry into the substandard construction of Gharho Shrimp Farm.
He issued these directives while presiding over a review meeting of development schemes on Tuesday at CM House. The meeting was attended by Senior Minister for Finance and P&D Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Aijaz Ali Khan, Principal Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Director General P&D Imtiaz Shah and other concerned officers.
Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Aijaz Ali Khan said that he had inspected Gharo Shrimp Centre constructed for Rs 261.79 million and found the quality of the work executed by work and services department quite pathetic. They had compromised the quality and now the W&S department had approached for revision of the scheme from Rs 261.79 million to Rs 878 million, he added.
The chief minister expressed displeasure and said that he would never compromise on quality. “This is a serious matter and I will not allow corruption in development schemes,” he said, and directed the chief secretary to send this case to the anti-corruption for urgent inquiry. The chief minister also directed the chief secretary to issue necessary instructions on his behalf to the ACE chairman for conducting thorough inquiry in minimum time.
The chief secretary told the chief minister that on his instructions he had already sent 97 cases of substandard works of development schemes to anti-corruption. “ACE Chairman Mr Mumtaz Shah is personally monitoring those inquiries and will give him detailed report next week,” he said.
ACS (Dev) Mr Aijaz Ali Khan briefed the chief minister on the development schemes and said that out of Rs 107 billion 2,671 development schemes the finance department had released Rs 43 billion to complete them. “I hope some 577 development schemes are likely to be completed by the end of June 2016,” he said.
The chief minister said that he would review the progress of each and every scheme from next week. “I would hold review meetings of each and every department at New Sindh Secretariat next week,” he said.
The chief minister also directed the P&D department to start inspection of all the development schemes being carried out all over the province.
