KARACHI, May 6: The school management committees are once again being haunted by “commission mafia” with regard to procurement of construction and educational materials in different schools of the city.

Sources in the City Government said that the School Management Committees, set up at government schools, were at present in the process of utilizing funds made available to them on need basis, and were allegedly under immense pressure of external elements with regard to purchasing goods for establishing or restoring different facilities at the schools.

These elements, who were said to be enjoying the blessings of some senior officers of city government’s education department, as well, included agents of the education officers and of some political quarters, added the source, maintaining that school heads, who mostly managed to have their say in the SMCs concerned, were being approached to purchase materials from parties identified by these elements only, bypassing the set norms and rules.

The source said that problem had also been brought to the knowledge of the Nazim of the City Government, who had taken serious notice of the practice and issued letters to the EDO (Schools) and other officials concerned to establish transparency in the proceedings of the SMCs and not to succumb to the pressure by any quarter at any cost, while procuring goods for any government school.

It was learnt that an amount to the tune of Rs171 million was allocated by the government for about 1,900 schools in the city for the ongoing financial year. A part of the amount was distributed some months back, while another instalment of the allocated sum, already received by the EDO office, was likely to be delivered to schools in a couple of days.

Under the government rules, the SMCs are authorized to utilize the funds placed in their accounts, received from government or any other sources, on need basis, subject to certain terms and conditions.

The term “need basis” includes provision of teaching and non-teaching staff, repair and maintenance work, educational material, construction for shelterless schools, construction of additional class rooms, library, computers, early childhood education material, provision of water, electricity or any other need of the school, as determined by the SMC.

The district government would be responsible to ensure merit based and transparent utilization of SMC funds and would ensure that the resources made available to SMCs were utilized as per policy laid down by the government, added a notification of the Sindh government.

Referring to the alleged modus operandi, adopted by the ‘agents’ and alleged extortionists, the sources said that these element contact the school heads or chairpersons of the SMCs and demand for issuance of cheques in favour of a party or supplier of their own choice.

The source claimed that “operators” were so ‘well-informed’ that in some cases they simply told the school authorities about thefund available to them, and told the authorities to issue the cheque against the bill they were handing over, and collect goods or materials of their needs from the person or party being identified by them.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the City Nazim has asked the officials concerned that they must not entertain such persons at any condition, as the SMCs are at liberty to utilize the funds placed at their disposal, within the related rules and provisions. “No contractor or firm has been authorised or pre-qualified to adopt the SMCs’ role or exercise any authority on its behalf”, Nazim’s letter mentioned, adding that any report of irregularity would be dealt sternly.