HYDERABAD: No senior government officer of Sindh was ready to return vehicles to the Hyderabad Development Authority even after second letter to secretary of Sindh local government.

Earlier, then secretary HDA secretary Rehmatullah Jamali had written a letter to the officers on the DG’s directive but neither the officers concerned who were using the vehicles returned them nor did they bother to respond to the letter.

Hyderabad deputy commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro, who was handed over charge of director general of HDA on June 10, approached LG secretary, seeking his intervention for return of the HDA’s expensive vehicles.

The vehicles were currently in use of Sindh government officers including a provincial secretary, ex-HDA DGs and secretaries, for they were adamant not to return the vehicles while taking advantage of their respective official positions.

The DC has even sought disciplinary proceedings through Chief Secretary of Sindh for the retrieval of the vehicles.

DG HDA confirmed having appro­ached LG secretary after officers concerned did not return the vehicles to HDA which was in need of them.

The vehicles included a 2022 model vehicle worth close to Rs10m which outgoing DG HDA Mohammad Sohail had taken away after purchasing it during his brief stint as DG of cash-strapped HDA. Sohail was now posted in Malir Development Authority (MDA).

Besides him, 10 other officers were supposed to return the vehicles, who included Sindh secretary forests Dr Badar Jamil Mendro, director general of Sehwan Development Authority Ghulam Mohammad Kaimkhani, former secretaries of HDA Sajjad Memon, Waseem Mustafa Soomro, Dr Asghar Abbas, former managing director of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Agha Abdul Raheem, former deputy director of Wasa audit & accounts Mohammad Waseem Shaikh and Rehmatullah Shaikh, former LG minister’s secretary. Former DG HDA late Ali Ahmed Loond’s name was also on the list.

Sohail was using Fortuner 2022 (GSF-439), Kaimkhani (GSE-179) Altis Corolla; Dr Badar Jamil Terious 200 (BF-0659); Agha Abdul Rahim GL-2010 Suzuki jeep; Wasim Shaikh GS-0274 Toyota Corolla, Rehmatullah Shaikh, Suzuki Cultus (BNX-940).

The DG has informed LG secretary that these officers were allowed to use vehicles as per their entitlement but after their transfer they took away the vehicles with them without returning these to HDA, putting the authority at a great disadvantage.

The DG informed that HDA was supplying water and ensuring disposal of sewerage in entire district besides handling housing related issues. HDA officers mostly performed field work in view of their job description and officers were feeling helpless in performance of their duties due to shortage of vehicles for field work.

He informed that financial position of HDA was not sound enough to purchase new vehicles for officers. “Salaries to employees are not paid for months,” he said.

He said that HDA tried its best to convince officers to return HDA vehicles through correspondence and telephonic contacts but they were adamant not to return the vehicles taking advantage of their position.

He said that HDA was supposed to put its request before these officers gently but it was being taken as weakness of the authority. Since the officers, the DG explained, had since been transferred from HDA to other government departments.

He urged LG secretary to bring it into the notice of Chief Secretary Sindh and ensure return of the vehicles to HDA through him besides initiating disciplinary proceedings against the officers concerned for their refusal to hand back the vehicles.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2022