KOHAT, Nov 13: The audit department has detected the Rs18.14 million irregularities in the Tehsil Municipal Administration’s expenditure regarding construction of a new fruit and vegetable market in Kohat.

In the 2012 annual report seen by Dawn, the audit department held the members of the provincial local council board, tehsil municipal officer, infrastructure officer and the contractor responsible for the irregular expenses.

According to the report, TMA had issued work order for the construction of 108 shops, cold storages, a mosque, a police post, a bank, a car parking, sheds and boundary wall to Zaman Contractors on Nov 25, 2008.

In the work order, it was clearly mentioned that TMA would take Rs10 million as guarantee from the contractor and Rs0.5 million as call deposit. TMA later secured the money from the contractor but returned it with the connivance of its senior officials, including one who inaugurated the incomplete market twice in 2010.

The report said the contractor built 76 shops but didn’t complete work on others and fled and that he bribed the relevant officials.

According to it, the shopkeepers had deposited with TMA officials the premium, which was siphoned off.

The report said there were some influential people, who first bought the said shops with the consent of then commissioner of Kohat division Khalid Khan Umerzai in 2010 and then sold them to businessmen at high rates.

According to it, an inquiry into the matter later began but it came to a halt afterwards.

Meanwhile, the shopkeepers, who had deposited the premium, appealed to the Peshawar High Court chief justice, the National Accountability Bureau chief and the provincial chief minister to step in to ensure recovery of their money from the TMA officials.

DOCTORS’ APPOINTMENT DEMANDED: The people of Lachi area on Tuesday demanded appointment of doctors to the local rural health centre.

They told Dawn that RHC, Lachi had been without male and female doctors for six months and in their absence, they were examined a medical technician.

The people said they had to take members of families to hospitals in Kohat in case of complications or emergency.

They complained that doctors were appointed to RHC but they got themselves transferred to other places as the centre was located very faraway.

The people demanded that the administration appoint the male and female doctors to RHC at least for two years and ensure their presence on duty for the relief of the patients.