NAB starts graft probe into National Drainage Programme scam

PESHAWAR: National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has initiated an inquiry against the officials of the Public Health Engineering Department for corruption of Rs 756 million in the National Drainage Programme schemes.

Preliminary probe revealed that most of the schemes were awarded to hand-picked blue-eyed contractors, while a company belonging to a close relative of a federal minister was also awarded nine contracts.

According to details, a complaint was received at NAB KP over huge corruption in the National Drainage Programme. During the probe, it was found that National Drainage Program was executed by the government of Pakistan in collaboration with World Bank till 2004. Later on, the said programme was funded by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Pakistan.

It was further revealed that out of 25 schemes under the programme, maximum schemes were awarded to the favourite contractors at the 190% rate violating the codal formalities. “The contractors further sublet the projects at 145% rate and 45 per cent amount was pocketed. Some of the projects were not completed on the ground. Record of all the schemes has been seized for investigations. The company of a close relative of a federal minister was given at least nine schemes”, NAB sources said.

Around Rs 990 million was spent on irrigation schemes but work on Mandan Vial Bannu has not yet been carried out. It was further found that contractors carried out substandard work causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.