ISLAMABAD: Expressing reservations over closure of inquiries against senior officers of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) summoned senior officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The sub-committee, which met under its convener Syed Naveed Qamar, suspended the committee’s proceedings after NAB representatives failed to satisfy it over ‘inaction’ against Nadra officers.

Audit officials raised 39 audit paras about `massive’ irregularities and misuse of funds in Nadra accounts for the period of 2003-04. Audit officials found that the data entry tenders were awarded to M/s Jaffar Brother despite the fact it had been blacklisted in 1985.

Nadra authorities invited applications for data entry of 65,775,826 national data forms to prepare a database of the citizens of Pakistan for issuance of new computerised national identity cards through a short tender notice on March 30, 2000, from contractors or their consortium. Last date of the submission of proposal was April 10, 2000. Five parties participated in bidding and four were disqualified. In the Nadra record, the bid of M/s Jaffar Brothers (JBL) was also shown as ‘disqualified on technical ground’. Yet, on May 11, 2000, M/s JBL was awarded the contract amounting to Rs822 million.

Nadra officials informed the committee that technical evaluation committee had accepted the JBL’s tender as none of the bidders met the condition of having an experience of 10 years in data entry and scanning.

Rejecting the arguments of the Nadra’s management, the committee asked it to share the evaluation committee’s findings with the audit officials.

Besides, the audit officials pointed out that Nadra had purchased Rs48 million worth of equipment at exorbitant price. Four firms — Engram, Hassan Enterprises, Royal Business and SA Computer — had submitted their bids. The purchase committee selected M/s Royal Business and SA Computer for supply of the equipment. The supply orders of Rs40m and Rs7.65m were issued to Royal Business and SA Computer, respectively. Later, in May 2002, the Nadra management having noted that the price quoted by M/s Royal Business for supply of IBM ThinkPad laptop was exorbitantly high ordered investigation into the purchases.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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