Tazeen Akhtar
As this scribe worked on a story of corruption in National Disaster Management Authority NDMA (former Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA)) during corona when Lt Gen Afzal was the Chairman , now another story of self awards with heavy executive allowances instead of saving money for the calamity hit people of Pakistan has surfaced. I filed a story with a headline ” Before a Disaster Management Authority becomes a Disaster Itself”. Lt Gen Afzal with his accomplices secured huge commissions and kick backs in the purchase of corona kits and other equipment while the present chairman Lt Gen Inaam Haidar Malik is accused of fetching two bonuses himself worth more than half million pkr while his cronies loot 6.6 million pkr in the name of bonuses.
Special Secretary to Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms Sara Saeed has sought an answer from the Chairman Lt Gen Inaam that how you and your officers deserve the the honorariums.
Here it is worth noting that most of the officers in NDMA are posted here on deputation. Now Deputation is another story of wishful postings of the officers to the departments where they can have more perk and privileges than their parent department.
Zahid Ameen, an officer of NDMA, confirmed the BANDAR BAANT (the things or post divided into some relatives or known person while they were not eligible for that, nepotism) of the funds in NDMA in a show with journalist Rauf Klasra at GTV. Lt Gen Inaam Haider Malik is newly appointed Chairman but he has taken special care of obliging himself and his team instead of taking care of the people of flood hit areas of Pakistan.
The journalist Rauf Klasra in a follow up show said, ” Mr. Inaam should have stopped this loot of funds but he availed the opportunity and also obliged his confidants at NDMA.”
The National Disaster Management Authority has responded to the query of the PM Office as ” The Allowance is the right of the officers. Finance Division has already issued a letter that allows NDMA officers to benefit with allowance. There is no Irregularity in the allocation of the allowance.”
The authority in explanatory letter to PM’s Special Secretary shares , ” The discussion about executive allowance was held in 32nd meeting of ERRA Board but it has not been approved and the opinion from the Finance Division was sought.”
This scribe contacted the media officer of NDMA , Major Kanwal and asked for her point of view but she did not respond.
More details are pouring in.
Before A DISASTER MANAGEMENT Becomes A DISASTER Itself …. by : Tazeen Akhtar
