BAHAWALPUR: Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali bar associations through a petition have alleged corruption in the construction of Hasilpur judicial complex.

On the petition of bars here on Wednesday, District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Rashid Qamar summoned the Bhawalpur Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) director and ordered him to initiate an inquiry and submit a report to the court on March 19.

The petitioners contended that about three months ago the bars in an application to the Lahore High Court chief justice had pointed out millions of rupees corruption in the construction of Hasilpur judicial complex.

The bars alleged that the contractor in connivance with government officials had installed poor quality wooden doors while road of the complex was built by using sub-standard material. The LHC chief justice ordered an action against the responsible people and sought a report from the ACE director.

The petitioners said the Hasilpur additional sessions judge along with ACE officials and bar members inspected the complex and found corruption.

They alleged that afterwards the respective officials with the connivance of ACE staff put their application in cold storage and ACE did not submit its report to the LHC.

The ACE officials admitted in the court on Wednesday that government funds were embezzled in the judicial complex project.

The D&SJ ordered the ACE officials to prepare a detailed report and submit it to the court through ACE director on March 19.

SOLAR PLANT: The Punjab government will install a 2.5MW solar energy plant in the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB).

This was told during a conference on renewable energy resources organised by IUB here on Wednesday.

The conference was addressed by energy experts from home and abroad.

Speakers stressed the need for a close cooperation between country’s industrial and commercial institutions to explore cheap sources of energy for the country.