 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
|
 |
| Rs 500m scam unearthed in S&T Ministry |
|
|
|
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Muhammad Azam Khan Swati on Monday claimed to have unearthed a major corruption scam of Rs 500 million in his ministry.
Addressing a press conference here at his ministry, Swati said he had thwarted a bid made by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to buy a 36-year-old discarded boat for Rs 500 million.
“This scam was thwarted as I went to Dubai and hired an expert to evaluate the condition of the boat on my own expense. The expert said in his report that the boat was only an iron skeleton of no use,” he said while unveiling the details to the journalists.
“On the one hand, our talented students are being denied their legitimate scholarships for PhD projects owing to the financial crunch and on the other hand, the countryís wealth is being misused. I would not let it happen,” he said.
The minister said that taking strict action on the report, he had suspended Director General NIO Dr Rabbani and another official who had allowed the tenders for the purchase of the boat, adding that further investigation was in progress.
He said the objective of the purchase by the NIO was to use the boat for oceanography as Pakistan had recently extended its ocean limits from 200 Nautical Miles to 350. “The boat being purchased was manufactured in year 1973 while now-a-days it was being used for the purpose of a makeshift hospital for rescue purpose from the rough Sea. You can better assess the functioning of the boat as a ship manufactured in year 1982 awaits for wrecking at the Gadani Port,” he said.
“I myself would submit a detailed report over the issue to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and also would reveal the names of those bigwigs of the government who hurled threats to me to restraint me from the investigation,” he added.
Moreover, the minister said the NIO officials have shown ghost offices, ghost ponds, and ghost vehicles while Rs 35 million have been spent on renovation of the NIO building, which according to him, was still “crumbling”.
Sharing the details of another department of his ministry, Swati said he was shocked to note that only 27 inspectors appointed by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) were looking after the quality standards of all thousands of products across the country.
“How 27 inspectors could assess the quality of thousands of products? I have summoned a meeting of the PSQCA on Friday and would also address the issues so as the rights of 17 crore consumers of Pakistan are protected and the quality standard of the products could be evaluated properly,” he added.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
