KARACHI, June 3 The Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment has registered six FIRs against seven officials and contractors, including the District Officer (Parks) Liaquat Ali of the City District Government Karachi, for alleged misappropriation of over Rs11.4 million in the development of model parks in 10 towns of the city between 2003 and 2004.

Five FIRs were registered on May 22, 2009, while another was registered earlier on May 18. The other officials accused of misappropriation of funds are the DDO (Civil & H) Aftab Ehsan Elahi, ADOs (P & H) Ikhlaq Baig and Abdul Ghafoor, AEN (P & H) Musheer, Sub Engineer (P & H) Raheel and the proprietor of M/s King Supper Company contractor.

The cases were registered on the complaint of Inspector Khursheed Ali Khan of ACE Karachi under Sections 409/420/34 PPC read with Section 5 (2)-II-1947.

The case registered on May 18 stipulated that following an inquiry into complaint No GO 1/2006 of ACE Karachi, after seeking approval from ACC-I in its meeting held on July 12, 2008, the approval for registration of cases was received from the competent authority.

The allegations pertain to misappropriation of funds in the development of model parks at St-4, Block-I, Metroville III of UC-II Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town; Hakeem Yamin Park in Malir Town; Eidgah Park in Korangi No 3½, Korangi Town; Park in sector 3/B of UC-4 in SITE Town; MA Lateef Park in Landhi Town; Muhammadi Park at Sindhi Hotel in Liaquatabad Town; Park at Street 28, Sector 11-A in North Karachi; Misali Park in UC-3 Shah Faisal Town; Renovation of Talib Chaman Park on Street-1, Block J of North Nazimabad Town and Masjid Rizwan Park in Block 16, FB Area of Gulberg Town.

In the initial inquiry it was pointed out that the cost of the model parks had increased from Rs50 million to Rs74 million, and further, the works were executed in anticipation of administrative approval as well as revised administrative approval without preparation of details of estimates and technical sanctions. The field officer was allegedly directed to adopt liberal structure designs and to provide superfluous specifications in order to benefit the contractor, say the ACE FIRs.

During the inquiry conducted into the above complaint, the ACE Karachi further alleged that the PC-I, which had received administrative approval, had allocated funds at 50 per cent above the schedule rate, but contractors had been paid at 78-91 per cent above the rate without obtaining authorisation. They thereby made an excess payment of Rs4,899,503, according to ACE officials.

The ACE concluded that the officers of District Parks and Horticulture Department of the CDGK and the concerned contractor have been found to be indulging in the misappropriation of funds and caused heavy losses to the government exchequer in the development of the 10 parks mentioned, add the FIRs.

Some details of the funds spent are provided here in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town park, Rs2,046,259 was paid in excess to the approved cost; in the SITE Town park Rs2,172,709; in the Malir Town park Rs1,395,228; in Gulberg Town Rs1,147,120; in the Liaquatbad Town Green Belt Park Rs4,180,716 and in the Landhi Town Park Rs566,193 was paid in excess of the approved cost.