KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has resented leasing and renting out properties of the Sindh Small Industries Corporation in violation of rules and referred the matter to the National Accountability Bureau for a probe.

The court has also directed the chief secretary of Sindh to ensure implementation of the recommendations made by an inquiry committee and get the premises vacated and also ensure that all such properties were used for the purpose they were meant for within three months.

The single-judge bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar issued show-cause notices to the chairman and managing director of SSIC over their lethargic attitude and act of leasing and renting out the properties.

At the outset of the hearing, the bench was informed that pursuant to its earlier order, the chief secretary had constituted an inquiry committee which conducted a probe. The report of the committee was also placed before the bench.

The report said that the properties/assets of the SSIC disposed of on the basis of highest offer/bids, but the prevailing marketing rent value was not obtained from the respective mukhtiarkar and recommended that all the rented premises should be got vacated by giving one-month notice and all such properties may be rented/sold out under open auction process and as per the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) rules.

The bench observed that the inquiry report prima facie reflected malfeasance and misfeasance of authorities on vast level in the SSIC and added it was shocking that properties of the SSIC meant for promotion of local industries and technical education, were sold out/rented out or kept abandoned.

It further noted that around 15 properties/assets of SSIC, including buildings housing technical training centres and handicraft development centres, carpet centres, leather & footwear centres, readymade garment training centres, wood working training centres, embroidery training centres and regional offices in Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Larkana and other parts of the province were either sold out or rented out at nominal rates in violation of the rules and law.

The bench said that it was criminal negligence on the part of delinquent officials and therefore, the matter was being referred to the NAB chairman and director general of Sindh NAB for a probe so as to assure that such acts/offences must always bring legal consequence.

It further observed that the chief secretary was the highest-ranking civil servant who was the administrative head of the province, thus the duties of the chief secretary always demanded more vigilance towards his duties then taking initiatives only on reminders/interventions by the courts.

The flagrant violation of law and rules by subordinate also brings the head under some liabilities least failure in holding a good administrative control, it added.

The bench directed the chief secretary to ensure implementation of recommendations made by the inquiry committee and must get the premises vacated and should ensure use thereof for which same were meant preferably within three months after adopting all legal and codal formalities.

It also issued show cause notices to the chairman and the MD of the SSIC that why they should not be booked under Pakistan Penal Code with regard to their silence and lethargic attitude in the subject matter and directed them to be in attendance on the next hearing along with their replies.

The bench directed the member inspection team-II of the SHC to ensure compliance with the order.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021