LRTP SCAM ---- What to Say

While reading the Following News, I feel ashamed of what we are doing as a Pakistani.... Simply looting and looting and thinking for just oneselves and families. Indeed Ironic

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LAHORE, July 22: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has frozen bank accounts worth Rs45 million and seized 11 residential and commercial properties, besides four vehicles belonging to the two officials of the provincial transport department on the charges of embezzling over Rs400 million in the Light Rail Transit Project (LRTP).

The Asian Development Bank-funded project which had been in doldrums for several years is now scheduled to be completed by June 2010.

The embezzlement surfaced when the bureau investigated the charges leveled by a complainant that two officials of the transport department – Shahnawaz (section officer) and Shamshad Gulzar (cashier) – along with some other officials and officers had embezzled over Rs400 million allocated for the LRTP feasibility report.

According to the NAB officials, bank accounts worth Rs45 million in the names of both accused, their wives and a relative had been frozen while the bureau had also confiscated 11 residential and commercial properties of the accused located in Lahore, besides impounding four vehicles belonging to them.

Though none of the accused has been arrested so far, their names have been placed on the Exit Control List (ELC) on the NAB’s request.

The officials said further investigation was underway and more officials and officers of the transport department could be included in it. “If the evidence is found against the top officers during the course of investiga tion they would not be spared,” they added.

A senior officer expressed surprise how could the provincial government proceed against those involved in a foreign-funded project without establishing a project management board comprising officers of ‘integrity and good repute’. “If at the feasibility stage such glaring irregularities have come to light it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the project must be executed in transparent manner,” he said.

On the other hand, the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) has also registered a case against Shahnawaz, Shamshad and four of their relatives on the complaint of regional transport secretary.

The FIR has also sought to ‘determine the role of the then secretary, Agha Nadeem, and the principal accounts officer and others in the scam.’ The volume of the fraud mentioned in the FIR is Rs1 billion. Though the NAB and ACE are reportedly coordinating in the investigation, the latter appears to be ‘not clear’ from where to begin with.

According to the proposed project, a 17-foot high rail track is to be laid from the Lahore Bridge on the Ravi near Shahdara to Bhatti Chowk and then from Bhatti Chowk to the new airport terminal complex.

In the project, magnetic levitation technology would be used for traction with a computerised system run without a driver. The average speed of the train would be 600km to cover distance between Shahdara to the new airport in 31 minutes reducing the average traveling time by about one hour.