'SIDB plagued by corruption'

Small Industries Development Board (SIDB) Employees' Union President Sahibzada Naseem Khan on Monday alleged that the top officials of the board are involved in massive corruption, saying that MD Akhtar Hussain Shah is all for illegal means. Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, he said the union had conveyed its concerns to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Minister for Industries and other concerned officials but to no avail.
Flanked by provincial president, Peoples Labour Federation (PLF), Tila Mohammad, Shama Ghee Mill Association, and Anwar Zeb from Peoples Labour Bureau, he said Akhtar Hussain Shah along with top officials including Farooq Anwar and Ahmad Ali were committing corrupt on mass scale. He said the MD had given additional charge to DMD Ahmad Ali in German Wood Working Centre to earn millions through him. Similarly, he said the MD was also involved in illegal allotment of plots and taking huge commission in district Mardan, saying the case is sub judice.
The MD had also forcibly transferred a member of the SIDB CBA. Sahibzada Naseem said that the board's rest house in Abbottabad was being used for illegal practices for last three years. He expressed concern over non-implementation of Rs 7,000 minimum wage for the board employees despite Shariat Court verdict.
He alleged that the MD had transferred Rs 15 million from Pak-German funds via National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Abbottabad branch and withdrew the money from Allied Bank Limited (ABL). He expressed concern over awarding 10 different SIDB projects to a private company - COSMOS, which was tantamount to curtailing role of the board. He said the administration plans to reconstruct its gallery to reshape the building in Islamabad, adding that the board is earning millions from the gallery per annum.
According to rules and regulations, he said it was mandatory to hire consultant for up to a Rs 10 million project, but the construction work is being carried out against rules. He said the MD had hired relatives as office assistant and on other key posts without advertisement and proper procedure. Similarly, he said a relative was also appointed on fixed pay in Wood Working Centre, Haripur, while two co-ordinators were hired on six-month contract without formal approval of the Board.
About another illegal appointment in the board, he said the MD had illegally hired three relatives in grade-14 as engineers after three months, but a sub-engineer Bahadur Zaman was yet to be restored despite reinstatement order of the court. He said the MD had also hired relatives in different readymade garment centres, in Mansehra, Balakot, Kaghan, Karak and Batgram without test and interview. Owing to prolonged closure of SIDB Textile Training Centre (TTC) in Urmar Payan, he said the machinery has become obsolete.
Similarly, he said the administration has failed to restart Patti Training Centre in Rahimabad, Swat. The Saramak Development Board (SDB) is yet to be functionalised owing to apathy of the board MD and other officials, he alleged. He said the MD had appointed Ahmad Ali and Farooq Anwar as DMD to hide corruption and financial irregularities.