Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As many as 90 cases of irregularities are still pending before the different committees, officers and board members in Capital Development Authority (CDA). The civic authority has processed 150 cases of financial and administrative irregularities in the last five years whereas only 54 cases have been concluded so far.

Sources inside the CDA have claimed that several committees formed to probe the irregularities and embezzlements have been failed to perform their duties efficiently as there are a large number of inquiries still pending before them.

According to CDA rules and regulations, an inquiry into corruption cases should be completed within 90 days but the situation here is entirely different as so many cases are pending even more than two years. In legal terms, “Justice delayed is justice denied” and it can be seen in the case of CDA inquiries where the complaints are waiting for justice from several years.

Another source from CDA administration wing has briefed the Daily Times on the condition of anonymity that as soon as the complaint is received in the authority, the formation of inquiry committee is processed and as per their recommendation, charge sheet and show cause notices are issued and penalties are imposed. He explained, “After the launch of formal inquiry within the CDA, it is a routine to give time to accused person for safe exit and multiple methods used by the officials of CDA to hinder or delay such probes on massive irregularities”.

An officer on the condition of anonymity told the Daily Times that the administration use the internal inquiries as delaying tactics and to calm down the issues which comes under the spotlight time to time by forming a committee or appoint an officer to fix it. He said, “The internal inquiries is of no use but a time waste whereas in my view the authority should make a central committee or board to tackle all the inquiries because a central probe committee would be more powerful and regular then present practice of appointing a person as investigation officer.

Earlier, in last year the CDA member finance has already directed the inquiry officers to dispose of pending inquiries within 15 days or face disciplinary action for their incompetence but the situation remained the same.

According to a CDA HR Directorate official, besides these inquiries FIA is also investigating nearly 21 cases against the authority officials, out of which the majority is related to land and estate departments whereas the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is also investigating five cases related to the authority’s officials.

While responding on the issue, CDA Public Relations Director Muhammad Ramzan Sajid said, “The authority has its own internal checks on any misuse of authority whereas there are external checks also present on any irregularities. In order to ensure fair and transparent working, the authority has conducted inquiries and imposed penalties on involved elements”. He further said, “The perception of delay is not correct as the authority is trying hard to furnish their recommendations within given timeframe but in some cases the delays happen as a routine matter”.

The internal investigating system of any organisation can help to improve its performance as if people know that they would face disciplinary actions on prompt bases then they will avoid their involvement in malpractices.