HYDERABAD:
The Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWSC) fails to submit the required correct and complete response to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) even after repeated reminders.
An investigation into the sudden emergence of shopping plazas in the once picturesque residential neighborhoods of Latifabad has opened a can of worms.
The corruption watchdog is after officials and employees of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Sindh Building Control Authority, Local Government Department and others for serious regularities in changing status of residential lands to commercials.
Sources say NAB may also initiate action against WASA officers for concealing evidence and not cooperating in investigations.
According to HWSC officials, NAB had stated that the response and records sent by HWSC Deputy Managing Director for investigation were incomplete and directed that complete records and details be provided by December 5.
However, he was ordered to submit full records on December 24 as HWSC did not respond on December 5. Citing the Corporation’s board meeting as an excuse, HWSC did not submit a response on the 24th nor has it submitted one until now. More information is said to be provided to NAB via another letter on December 30 or 31.
NAB Karachi was currently investigating the conversion of residential land into commercial land in Latifabad despite not having the authority.
The top anti-graft body also investigated the construction of multi-storey buildings, wedding halls, petrol stations and other commercial structures on these lands, even though the documents were incomplete.
Hyderabad officials said it was like opening a can of worms as they examined the files related to issuance of NOCs for these business structures, issuance of affidavits and issuance of short challans.
Among other serious allegations, local government officials face charges of failing to deposit checks presented by builders for various fees into official bank accounts.
During the investigations, officials of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and officials and staff of the Land Department were summoned for an inquiry at NAB Hyderabad and their statements were also recorded. As per the records received from the Sindh Building Control Authority, the issuance of various NOCs was not only by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation but also by the Planning and Development Control (P&DC) Department of the Hyderabad Development Authority ( HDA).
Similarly, during the construction of the multi-storey building on residential plots illegally converted into commercial plots, the Sindh Building Control Authority also collected improvement charges, of which 25 per cent was paid to HWSC.
However, during investigations, corporation officials did not provide details of where they placed the enhancement charges.
NAB had sent a letter to HWSC regarding the improvement charges collected by the corporation and utilization of the amount. A reply was sent by the deputy managing director of HWSC on behalf of the corporation, to which NAB deputy director (coordination) Umair Ahmed sent a letter on November 29 to the director of HWSC as a reminder. NAB’s letter sent on November 5 and that of November 19 clarified that the information and record of HWSC in the letter sent was incomplete. Then the date was given as December 5, then December 19, and then December 24.
HWSC said its board meeting was on December 24 and then December 27 was a holiday due to Benazir Bhutto’s birthday. Therefore, they said they would submit a response to the NAB on December 31.
