Sindh Solid Waste Management Board faces corruption inquiry

KARACHI: The Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment has initiated an inquiry regarding alleged corruption, mismanagement, illegal appointments and illegal promotions in the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB). The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board has been established for the collection and disposal of solid and other waste in the province of Sindh.

A source of the Sindh government narrated that apart from the action of the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), the Sindh Local government department and administrative department of SSWMB also took notice of alleged irregularities in the board, sent an official letter to specify the position, directing the management of the board to submit their reply. According to the official documentary evidence available with The News, the ACE Sindh is inquiring into the issue of 10 fake persons who were illegally adjusted in the SSWMB from Grade 5-17 by showing them as transferred employees of the Larkana Development Authority (LDA), Sindh.

The ACE record suggested that on February 3, 2020, Assistant Director Asif Ali Tunio and Accounts Officer Tariq Hussain Awan of the Larkana Development Authority (LDA) sent a letter to SSWMB, narrating about the position of the said alleged fake employees and suggested to the management of SSWMB to lodge a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Establishment against the responsible persons for the said forgery, but to-date no report was made to ACE in this regard by the board.

The LDA officers in their correspondence stated that according to their record, the said 10 employees never remained a part of LDA and were fraudulently inducted into the board.

Well-placed sources of the Sindh government told The News that the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, which was established for the collection and disposal of solid and other waste in the province of Sindh, was established in 2014 through an act of the Sindh Assembly, has now become a source of loot and plunder by the officers of the department.

Official documents of ACE further suggested that the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board paid millions of rupees to a foreign company and other contractors though the deputy director and assistant director of SSWMB, Malir, Karachi, refused to sign the bills due to suspicious supported vouchers. According to the complaint received to ACE, both the said officers who refused to sign the bills were removed from their positions and two other officers posted as DD and AD and then the said payment was made to the contractors.

This reporter on February 13, 2020 approached Managing Director Asif Ikram and Secretary Imran Bhatti of SSWMB, called at their official and then at their cell numbers and then sent them a detailed questionnaire. Many reminders were made but till the filing of this story both the officers had not responded.

Deputy Director Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), East, Zameer Abbasi, confirming the move, said that ACE has received many serious complaints regarding alleged financial mismanagement, illegal appointments and illegal promotions in SSWMB and in this regard a formal inquiry has been initiated.

DD Abbasi said that apparently material irregularities were made but, according to him, as the inquiry was at an early stage, he was unable to comment in detail.