ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Engineering and services wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started development work without the approval of the authority, a source in the CDA told Dawn on Friday.
The source said a few days ago the CDA board member of engineering, Brig Ghulam Akbar Bukhari, had ordered an inquiry into the irregularities in the services wing and stopped carrying out of any development and maintenance work without approval. However, the department in violation of the order has again started execution of development works.
The source said the CDA had recently started some unapproved maintenance work in the National Assembly and Parliament Lodges. In order to probe irregularities in the services wing, a four- member committee was reportedly formed in the CDA, which detected Rs182 million discrepancies in the services wing.
The committee raised objection that most of the maintenance work had been carried out without the approval of the competent authority, the source said.
These discrepancies have been detected in the maintenance work and petty development projects executed in the CDA during the last two years, the source said.
The committee, which presented its inquiry report to the authority chairman, suggested disciplinary action against the officials involved in corrupt practices. In the light of the committee’s deliberations, many officials were charge-sheeted.
Some of the CDA contractors told Dawn that no development-oriented department in the country could eliminate the practice of executing uplift work without approval and sanctioning.
The contractors were of the view that the CDA had carried out a futile exercise by stopping all maintenance work and charge-sheeting those officials who had executed the projects without the approval of their superiors.
WATER RATIONING: The Capital Development Authority started water rationing in the federal capital on Friday to ensure availability of the existing reserves till next summer, a source in the water supply department of the authority told Dawn.
The source said under rationing, water was supplied on alternative days. Rationing will continue for the next six to seven months till the catchment areas of Simly Dam received adequate rains, he said.
“Due to the shortage of rains during the current monsoon, the dam level has declined to 2,275 feet against the highest level of 2,305 feet,” he said.