RAWALPINDI: The three-member fact-finding committee, formed by Rawalpindi education department, asked on Monday for a complete audit of the Commerce College Murree and to transfer a lecturer and a clerk. The team was formed following the charges of corruption levied by the students, against the college administration, for charging additional examination fees.

In their application, a group of students had alleged that the college administration had earlier denied their admission due to shortage of attendance, but later allowed them to register after charging very high fees.

The students had also alleged that a lecturer had offered them private tuition at his home and all those who attended his private tuitions were allowed to send their admissions to appear in the intermediate examinations.

Following the application, directorate of college Rawalpindi formed a three-member committee, headed by Vice Principal Asghar Mall College Professor Altaf Hussain.

The committee then interviewed the students and the teaching staff and checked the college’s records.

During investigation, the committee noted a serious tussle between a college lecturer and a clerk over their personal issues.

In its report, the committee said that both the clerk and the lecturer had then started leveling allegation of corruption against each other.

This, the committee noted, provided a room to the college students to allege that the administration was charging higher fees than usual.

The investigating team further said that the corruption charges brought forth by the students could not be proved, however, it had been established that both of the quarrelling persons had created unrest in the college, affecting educational activities.

“We have recommended conducting a complete audit of the college, besides transferring the said lecturer and clerk,” Professor Altaf Hussain, the committee member, told Dawn.

Meanwhile, the committee found that a number of college employees were illegally living in the college’s residential colony without paying any rent. The committee recommended that the house rent should be recovered from all illegal occupants.

Whereas, another inquiry is underway against administration of the college as over 100 books were found missing from the college library.

Director Colleges Rawalpindi Division Professor Humayun Iqbal told Dawn that he had received a copy of the report. He said that he will pass a direction based on the report by Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2014