Irregularities Worth Hundreds of Millions Reported in Education Department, Including Teacher Tablets and Paper Purchases
Another shocking corruption story has emerged from what has been described as PTI’s 13-year rule, with irregularities reported in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Department.
During the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, irregularities amounting to Rs920 million were reported in the Education Department in a single year. During this period, Shahram Khan Tarakai was the provincial education minister.
The irregularities worth Rs374.3 million were reported in the distribution of tablets to newly recruited teachers through District Education Officers during the year.
Tablets worth Rs424.7 million were distributed among 15,000 individuals, prompting the formation of a committee to investigate the matter. However, according to the scrutiny committee’s report, only 1,779 tablets were returned to the directorate, while the remaining 13,221 tablets went missing.
During the 2022–23 financial year, irregularities amounting to Rs48.7 million were reported in paper purchases at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Mardan.
By violating government rules and regulations and awarding a contract to a favoured firm, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs192 million.
The board chairman withdrew Rs7.1 million in executive allowance despite not being entitled to it. According to the audit report, the national exchequer also suffered a loss of Rs13 million in the purchase of smartphones.
Also Read: 13 Years of PTI Rule, School Safety Remains a Serious Concern in KP
