October 13, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 30, 1428

SARGODHA, Oct 12: Anti-Corruption Establishment Additional Director Rana Muhammad Arshad launched an inquiry into alleged embezzlement and undue favour in the grant of contract for a construction project worth Rs100 million by officials of the Tehsil Municipal Administration.

He took over the entire record of tenders scheduled to open at the TMA office today (Saturday).

The ACE official received many complaints of corruption in development works being carried out by the companies owned by the political elites, including a provincial minister. One of the complaints pertained to a contract of Rs100 million in which the TMA allegedly deprived the genuine contractors and obliged a group of contractors who mutually decided to offer the highest bid.

A contractor of C1 grade, requesting anonymity, told this correspondent that the entire development work had been distributed on the basis of mutual pooling and understanding and no one bothered to check the standard of work under way. He said Rs300 million were granted by the president when Dr Liaquat Ali Khan was the tehsil nazim who promoted pooling and allegedly earned over Rs50 million as illegal gratification, besides earning profit through getting contracts for his own fake firms. A high-level inquiry was ordered some three years ago, but it was dropped as reportedly the nazim in question paid Rs20 million to the PML higher-ups for grant of party ticket during byelection. Somehow or the other he succeeded in saving the skin and now once again he was striving to get the party ticket and had reportedly managed this inquiry to dent incumbent tehsil nazim, Malik Shoaib Awan, his rival who is also an aspirant for the party ticket. — Correspondent