ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to meet yet another deadline for the completion of inquiries into corruption cases.

The CDA administration set a 15-day period on August 10 for the completion of the pending inquiries but failed to complete over 150 inquiries which included departmental and mega-corruption cases.

Sources said some of the high-profile inquiries included the diplomatic bus service, I.J. Principal Road, D-12, Margalla Avenue, a Parliament Lodged furniture case and a sewage treatment plant. They said some CDA officials were directly involved in several corruption cases and were delaying the completion of the inquiries.

The CDA directed officials to complete the inquiries in July this year. A month later, the authority’s administration issued another directive to the officials to complete the inquiries within 15 days and warned of strict disciplinary action if they did not do so. The deadline expired on August 25.

CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal presided over a meeting on Thursday to review the pending inquiries and issued another directive, threatening disciplinary action if the inquiries were not completed. However, instead of setting a specific timeframe, the CDA directed that the inquiries should be completed as soon as possible.

“Following the last warning, our officers have completed some minor departmental inquires but probes into the mega cases have been pending for several years,” a CDA official said on the condition of anonymity.

The official said if free and fair inquiries were conducted, several CDA high-ups could be exposed for making money in the name of development projects.

“It’s routine for our management to make a face-saving statement like directing officials to complete the inquiries but there is no proper pursuit of the inquiries. In July this year, a warning of the same kind was issued but nothing major has happened,” the official said.

The CDA is no stranger to controversies regarding actions of its officials, particularly during the previous government’s tenure. The authority has failed to set up a transparent system in many departments, particularly the land directorate.

Following Thursday’s meeting, CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the authority’s management took notice of the delay in completing many inquiries and issued a final warning to the officials undertaking the probes.

Mr Sajid said the administration also took notice of the lack of relevant records provided to the officers undertaking the inquiries and directed that the records should be submitted immediately.

Sajid said it was also decided at the meeting that those officials who were on the verge of retirement and trying to delay the inquiries would have their pension and retirement benefits suspended until the inquiries were completed.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2015

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