Booni pipeline corruption case: court orders full-flow water supply to consumers

BOONI, March 19: The consumer court based in Malakand has directed the public health department Chitral to ensure the supply of drinking water in full flow to the consumers in Booni within two months starting from March 19. The court issued the short order after hearing the Booni pipeline corruption case. A one-man commission formed to probe the allegations of corruption in the pipeline project unearthed wide-scale irregularities and embezzlement in February this year. The commission submitted its report to a local court which sent it to Swat for further action by the consumer court there. In November 2014, District and Sessions Judge Chitral appointed Assistant Commissioner Mastuj Minhas Uddin as the one-member commission to investigate the allegations of corruption against the Public Health Department (PHD). The allegations against the department were levelled by Tehreek Haqooq-e-Awam upper Chitral. The commission was directed to submit a report on December 6. However, the AC later refused to conduct the inquiry. As a result, Sahibur Rehman, the principal of the Govt High School Booni, was appointed as the one-man commission. Work on the Booni pipeline project was started in 2011 at an estimated cost of Rs30.39 million. The project was approved in 2010 on the recommendation of PML-N leader Ameer Muqam. However, a member of the Tehreek Haqooq-e-Awam told ChitralToday that in the past the district and sessions judge also worked as the consumer court. But last year the consumer court was shifted to Darul Qaza Swat. As a result, the inquiry report has been sent to Swat for hearing. The judge in Booni was of the view that the consumer court Swat can either set up a camp court in Booni or summon the applicants and the accused to Swat.]]>