SARGODHA, Jan 8: A monetary scam involving millions has been alleged in one of the local projects planned under the National Drainage Programme. The drainage project is learnt to have been lingering on for the last four or so years.

Suspicions were raised when the contractor attempted to get a bill of Rs7.5 million sanctioned six months ago.

The project was initiated in 2001-02 and was scheduled to be completed within two years with the allocation of Rs60 million. However, the contractor has so far received over Rs110 million without starting the work.

According to information gleaned by this correspondent, a project of desilting at Budhi, Huda and Shah Jewana drains, besides construction of bridges to be supervised by the irrigation department officials, was launched.

A letter issued by the NDP authorities set the condition that no payment would be made without the recommendation of the Sargodha SE and XEN (drainage).

The project manager, Abdul Haq (who is the assistant resident engineer with the Pakistan Drainage Consultant), has allegedly paid almost double the amount allocated for the project that exists only on paper.

It is learnt that Rs11 million was allocated for desilting, but the PDC has paid Rs60 million under this head and over Rs50 million for the construction of bridges.

The contractor had recently submitted a bill of Rs7.5 million, which a sub-engineer and a sub-divisional engineer denied to support claiming that no work had been done on the spot. However, XEN Nazeer Dugal forwarded his favourable report for the payment of the bill.

SDO Zafar Alam Gondal, who had been made an OSD six months ago for submitting adverse report of the contractor allegedly enjoying support of a former Punjab irrigation secretary, has now submitted a complaint to irrigation secretary Arif Nadeem.

Taking serious view of the charges, the secretary visited the spot and referred the matter to Director Vigilance Ahsan Tiwana for investigation. Malik Shabbir, an official of the department, is assisting him.

Earlier, the investigation of the case was assigned to SE (Drainage) Muhammad Yousaf, who reportedly put the matter in cold storage.

Another official of the department told this correspondent on the request of anonymity that the tender of the work was issued from Lahore on the direction of the former secretary with whose permission work permit was also issued.

When contacted, the monitoring staff denied corruption charges and passed the buck on the department's higher-ups.

According to the department officials, desilting cannot be checked, but huge amounts withdrawn for the purpose can be accounted for.

They said construction of bridges could be monitored in any case.