NAROWAL: Sialkot Deputy Commissioner (DC) has referred a Rs67 million corruption case to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) against the highways executive engineer, sub-divisional officer (SDO) and a sub-engineer, who also face charges of making hefty advance payment to the road development project contractors.

The EXEN has escaped from Sialkot, leaving his charge, after paying Rs500 million to the contractors in a week.

According to officials, DC Abdullah Khurram Niazi, taking notice of the complaints of large-scale corruption in the local highways department, sought a report from thedeputy director development.

They say the Punjab Highways Department, Sialkot, officers allegedly not only made the full Rs140m advance payment to the contractors of the City Roads Development Package, even before the completion of construction of Shahabpura Road, but in collusion with the EXEN, overpaid Rs67m, taking the total paid amount to Rs207m, in flagrant violation of the laws, causing loss to the national exchequer.

According to the sources, the roads of Sialkot city were to be reconstructed and repaired with an amount of one billion rupees.

As per the findings of a preliminary departmental inquiry, the officers have committed corruption on a large scale. In the light of the probe, on the orders of the DC a cor-ruption case against EXEN Muhammad Samiullah, SDO Saim Ali and Sub-Engineer Shaukat Ali has been sent to the ACE.

According to a press release issued by the Sialkot district administration, EXENSamiullah resigned from his post after making illegal payment of Rs500m to the contractors within a week after the initial investigations started against him.

He did not respond to the phone calls made and messages sent by this correspondent to know his response to the allegations.

The DC has also written a letter to the communication and works secretary for taking departmental action against the three of ficers. He says a strict legal action will also be taken against the officers if they were proved guilty.