19 May 2004	Wednesday	28 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

MITHI, May 18: The Tharparkar district and sessions judge has urged the Sindh chief secretary to hold an inquiry against contractors and officials responsible for using substandard material in road schemes of Mithi town and initiate action against them.

Entertaining an application of the residents of the town in this regard, the sessions judge, who is also the Human Rights district director, took the initiative after calling comments of relevant functionaries as well as a report by the district nazim.

Responding to the call, the works and services EDO claimed through a letter that the road work was being carried out as per the specified formalities under the supervision of field staff.

However, the district nazim, after inspecting the roads, pointed out in a report sent to the director as well as the chief secretary and other functionaries that the quality of work was unsatisfactory.

The nazim, through a letter, directed the DCO, who is also the project director, to take action against those responsible for the irregularities and also reprimanded him for not following the proper procedure while making payments to the contractors.

The Human Rights director, in a communique to the chief secretary, Sindh High Court registrar and the district nazim, said that admittedly Rs13.19 million had been spent on the project irresponsibly, thus establishing irregularities, malpractice and gross negligence on the part of the EDO as well as the DCO/project director and other relevant officials.

He has suggested that the DCO should be restrained from making further payments till the project was completed and a satisfaction certificate was received from the nazim.