TAXILA: The Punjab chief minister’s inspection team has initiated an investigation into the alleged mismanagement, embezzlement and violation of construction plan in the multimillion solid waste management project of Hassanabdal.

The World Bank had provided Rs31.3 million for the project, work on which was initiated in 2009. About 10 months ago,the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) issued the project completion certificate to the consultants and the contractor despite the fact that the dumping site for the project was not as per the PC-1 with many flaws in its design and construction.

Later, the TMA officials issued payment to the contractor as well as the consultant.

Under the project, 116 kanals of land and sanitary staff were provided by the TMA Hassanabdal for the solid waste management project. The dumping site was supposed to carter to the need of the residents for 20 years. A private consultant firm was also hired by the provincial government for proper construction of the dumping site.

Mechanical sweepers and latest machinery were also provided to the TMA for the project.The machinery included two trucks, 15 containers, five tractors, five road sweeping machines, two bowsers and 50 carts. Interestingly, these mechanical equipment were never used even for a single day but payments were made for their fuel expenses.

The scam was unearthed when experts raised objections to the flaws in the construction of the dumping site.According to the plan, multi-layers underground dumping bins had to be constructed on 116 kanals located on the outskirts of the city at Nikko-Buffad road. But some bins were constructed with no layers system and drainage of rain and seepage water in violationM of the PC-1. Now the site has turned out to be an ordinary dumping site where garbage and waste are thrown in the open. Besides, the drainage lines have broken down within a few months.

As flaws were detected in the multi-million project, the chief engineer local government Lahore along with three other officials probed the scam.

Recently, the chief minister’s inspection team visited the umping site and submitted a report to the authorities concerned.

Sources told Dawn that Assistant Commissioner Fazal Akbar, who had issued the completion certificate despite flaws in the project, was suspended.

When contacted, Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Sajid Ali Khan said the completion certificate was issued to the contractor and consultant firm after ‘successful’ completion of the project. He termed the visit of the inspection team and chief engineer local government to the site a “routine” matter. Hedeclined to comment on the alleged malpractice, corruption and violation of the PC-1.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Fareeha Tehseen said as she had taken over recently, she had no detailed information about the scam.

It may be noted that in 2011 the anti-corruption establishment arrested seven people, including a former UC nazim, for their alleged involvement in a Rs10 million embezzlement in the procurement of 106 kanals of land for the construction of a cricket stadium in 2006.