Auditor General unearths discrepancies in FDE’s upgradation of ICT High School project

by Aamir Lashari
ISLAMABAD: Auditor General of Pakistan has detected massive corruption in Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) project titled “Up-gradation of ICT High Schools”.
The FDE Management issued the supply order contrary to the specification given in the bidding document and approved by the purchase committee by reducing the specification as specified in advertised, the report pointed out. Audit Report observed that FDE purchased substandard computers at Rs. 9.037,500 @ 120,500 each from a private firm for the said project. Audit is of the view in violation of PPRA Rules, undue favour was extended to the supplying firm and loss was made to public exchequer. PPRA Rule-36(b)(v) states that the procuring agency shall evaluate the technical proposal in manner prescribed in advance, without reference to the price and reject any proposal which does not conform to the specified requirements, audit officials. Reportedly, neither the FDE management replied nor was “Departmental Accounts Committee convened”.