The Sindh government is once again under fire as a fraud worth Rs 650 million has been discovered in development projects relating to food.
Bhambore Dairy Village project was initiated four years ago. However, it has been revealed that contractors were paid tens of millions of rupees but the scheme made no development. The Sindh High Court has also held further payments to the contractors. On the other hand, the anti-corruption department has registered a first information report against two former secretaries of the livestock department – Laiq Memon and Chaudhry Zafar. However, Laiq Memon has reportedly fled the country.
The Bhambore Dairy Project was launched on April 6, 2012, and was announced to be completed in 2014 with a cost ranging up to Rs 2,800 million. Earlier in April, during a court hearing on one of the contractors’ plea, the judge ordered the persons concerned to return the cheques back to the government. A three-member bench of the high court had highlighted the sorry state of Sindh government which, according to the judges, was favouring some contractors for having terms with them.
Additional Advocate General Barrister Ghulam Mustafa Mahesar had told the court that the entire project was a sham and the government machinery was shafted by then secretary of livestock and fisheries, colluding with the petitioner, the contractor.