May 20, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1429

KHANEWAL, May 19: A Rs2 million project being run under the Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP) has turned out to be a stack of old machines and a bedroom, the top district official learnt during a visit to the project.

Dawn learnt reliably District Coordination Officer Qazi Ishfaq visited Sanat Zar a few days ago and found that machines related to women’s skill development were old and faulty.

Of 10 staffers, only three were present while a room of the centre was being used as a bedroom.

Sources revealed the district government had received Rs2.25 million from the Ministry of the Women’s Development in July 2007 under the GRAP project for women’s development.

The ministry transferred Rs2.25 each to all the districts in the country. Community Development Department officials in Khanewal bought a number of machines and other items of stitching, sewing, over-locking, button stitching, computer embroidery etc.

The officials bought second-hand machines without following the rules and misappropriated the grant, sources said.

Community Development EDO Chaudhry Maqsood, however, said: “The machines are new and have been bought as per rules.”

He said the DCO had visited the centre and checked the machines but he did not show dissatisfaction over machine purchase.

About the bedroom, he said: “Previously, there was a hostel for working women in the building but later the hostel was shifted to another building. The bed might be of some boarders.”

DCO Qazi Ishfaq confirmed his visit to Sanat Zar and said he would order a probe into the matters of the centre.

“I have appointed the EDO (CD) and the district cooperative officer to investigate into the matter and report to me,” he said.