RAWALPINDI, Sept 30: The Punjab government has ordered an investigation into the $5 million irregularities committed in the construction of Rawalpindi Medical College Complex, sources said here on Monday.

A directive from the health department called for fixing of the responsibility for import of faulty equipment and incomplete civil works which resulted in the delay in the completion of the project.

The Governor’s Inspection Team (GIT), in its recommendations about the project, stated that the completion of the project was significantly delayed, therefore both health and building departments should be warned to strictly adhere to the completion schedule.

The team, in its report, had asked the officials of these two departments to make the new project functional by October 31, 2002 and to fix the inauguration date. They had warned that no laxity on this count would be tolerated.

It should be recalled that only last week a wing of the new project was commissioned during the Punjab governor’s visit to Holy Family Hospital and a large segment still needed to be made operational.

The report directed the health department to put the heating and air-conditioning system and other allied works under the supervision of the consultants.

The work is presently being carried out by the works department without any technical assistance resulting in numerous problems.

The GIT has also asked the project director to hold fortnightly meetings with the building department officials to review the pace of work and sort out all outstanding issues to avoid any further delay.

The minutes, it has been further directed, should be endorsed to the GIT for monitoring purposes.

Meanwhile, regarding the work on the nursing hostel project the building department has been told to expedite probe into the Rs4.8 million overpayment issue.

The letter stated that in case the overpayment was established the responsible persons should be dealt with strictly.

“All such overpayments should be recovered from the responsible and action be taken against them under the Removal from Service Ordinance for causing loss to the government.