It is to be recalled that an inquiry in NFML, wherein Rs 300 billion were embezzled last year, was yet to be completed when the above-mentioned scam surfaced in Gujranwala Division. FIA Lahore has started inquiry into the scam, sources in NFC said.
They said that DCO Gujranwala, in a letter addressed to Director FIA Lahore, pointed out the massive irregularities in distribution of imported urea in districts of Gujranwala division. The DCO was informed by Agriculture Department. The detailed report of DCO made eye opening revelations and stated that only within 16 days from December 19, 2011 to January 06, 2012 1360 tons urea was dispatched to 84 untraceable dealers in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts.
Urea was supplied to a total of 191 dealers, out of whom, 107 were notified and traceable while 84 dealers were untraceable. The report further read that total quantity dispatched to dealers was 2840 tons out of which 1480 tons was supervised and traceable while 1360 was dispatched to undisclosed locations.
As per details, major chunk of the embezzled urea was dispatched in Gujranwala district i.e. 1980 tons, out of which, 975 tons was traceable and 1005 tons was dispatched to untraceable dealers. Similarly minimum quantity of 30 tons was dispatched to Narowal district, out of which, 30 tons was supervised while 20 tons was dispatched to untraceable dealers.
It is worth mentioning here that last year powerful group comprising federal ministers, elected officials, and senior civil servants allegedly embezzled Rs300 billion through the illegal dumping, smuggling, and black-marketing of fertilizer imported by the government.
The government subsidizes the urea by making the NFML sell it at far below global import rates, importing it at around Rs.2,550 per 50-kilogram bag and selling it for Rs. 1,050 per bag. “Over 50% of the imported urea (500,000 tons) simply did not reach its destination,” says the report.
When this scribe contacted NFC chairman Khalid Malik on his cell phone to know his version on the issue, his cell was attended by a man who introduced himself as Rasheed and said that Mr Malik could only talk during office time and switched off the mobile phone.
