ISLAMABAD: Following the monitoring reports pointing out alleged substandard work in 30 schools being renovated under the ongoing Prime Minister’s Education Reform Programme and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD)’s refusal to own the reports, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has decided to carry out a fresh survey of the schools.

Sources told Dawn that through a summary the FDE had requested the secretary CADD for the resurvey of the 30 schools through various agencies.

They said the FDE proposed the names of the National Logistics Cell (NLC), Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), Nespak or FDE’s own committee to be headed by the area education officer concerned and consisting of school principals and an official from the PM’s reform programme.

The sources said the summary signed by Director Planning Farhad Ali Shah was moved to the CADD on Friday.

“In coming days, the secretary CADD will decide about forming a monitoring team,” sources said.

CADD rejects reports filed by three monitoring teams on the 30 schools renovated under PM’s reform programme

Recently, three committees formed by the secretary CADD had submitted their reports pointing out discrepancies in almost all the 30 schools. One of the reports stated that PC-1 for renovation/facelifting of 200 schools against Rs2.7 billion was faulty, alleging that most of the items mentioned in the bills of quantity were overestimated.

The report also said instead of Sheesham, furniture made of Kikar were provided to some schools.

Some schools, which were not part of the PC-I, were also renovated. Small, two-to-three room schools in Plalaly, Subban, Gokina and Mal areas had nearly the same amount of civil, electrical, plumbing, sewerage and horticulture work.

But a steering committee of CADD, headed by federal minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, rejected the reports and termed them “biased and prejudiced.”

The committee directed the FDE for re-monitoring of the schools in 15 days.

The committee claimed that the reports about the 30 schools were not professionally prepared and had used a PC-I that had been revised several times.

The committee members said the report also lacked relevant facts and figures.

“The proposal submitted by the FDE is a follow-up of last meeting of the steering committee which had wanted re-monitoring of the 30 schools,” said an official of CADD.

When contacted, Project Director Waqas Farid of CADD said he had no idea of the FDE’s proposal. “I think at last meeting of the steering committee it was decided that FDE’s own committee will monitor the ongoing works in the schools,” he said.

Asked about alleged substandard work, he said so far only 74pc of work had been completed.

“Until we take over the schools from the contractors, the latter are responsible for any discrepancies,” he said.

About the furniture, he said in all schools furniture made of Sheesham was being supplied but “in one school the contractor supplied 300 chairs made of Kikar and before the monitoring report my team had already taken notice of it,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2018