Finance Dept not released fund for snorkel’s purchase: SHC told

The Finance additional secretary of the provincial government informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday that not a single rupee has been released for the purchase of 104 meter snorkel as its bid was cancelled.

The SHC bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing the petition seeking an inquiry into alleged corruption in purchase of snorkel at exorbitant price by the local government department.

In the reply, the additional secretary told the bench that 104-meter snorkel was to be bought under ‘Up-gradation of Fire Service for High Rise Building Scheme’ for 2016-17 and Rs 499 million was allocated for it. He added that the Finance Department has not released funds for purchase of snorkel as its bid was cancelled in accordance with Sindh Public Procurement Rules, 2010.

The project director informed the judges that the local government wanted to buy the snorkel keeping in view the future’s development in Karachi. “The city is growing vertically and to cater the requirement, an urgent necessitate of snorkel was felt. ‘Karachi needs snorkel as more and more high-rise buildings are being constructed here’, he added.

The project director told the judges that the tender was opened last year for purchase of snorkel and quoted price was Rs 495 million in which cost of training, familiarization on operation include and 10-year warrantee were also included.

Meanwhile, the counsel of Karachi commissioner sought time to file the comments. The court put off the hearing till January 18, 2017.

Earlier, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah who is president of Sajjan Union of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation submitted in his petition that the provincial government was buying the snorkel from local company on very high price.

He alleged that massive corruption was taking place as the Sindh government was going to purchase the snorkel for Rs 570 million whereas the Punjab government had signed an agreement to buy snorkel for Rs 220 million.