FAISALABAD: Building material of dozens of establishments has been ‘sold’ silently and without auction by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad administration, Dawn learnt.

Sources said dozens of university employees had been living in residential quarters for many years and the administration had asked them to move to other places as the land would be used for different purposes.

They said most of quarters had been demolished a couple of weeks ago and some were yet to be demolished although the administration has shifted inhabitants to other places.

A security guard, requesting anonymity, said he had been watching trolleys carrying materials of buildings demolished by the university administration. He said he had no instructions to stop such trolleys.

“Usually security officials brief them on security matters and monitoring of vehicles. For such trolleys no instruction has been given by any officer,” the guard said.

Sources said building material, including thousands of bricks, iron girders, doors and windows of fine wood, were worth millions of rupees.

Official auction of materials was required before their dumping anywhere, but the university administration has ignored the rules.

Any notice of auction by the UAF is not seen on the site of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) although auction notices of different organizations and universities are available.

An associate professor, requesting anonymity, said the administration had been taking benefit of being an autonomous body by violating the rules.

He said the government should conduct a special audit of the university to detect embezzlement of funds.

University spokesman Dr Jalal Arif had in his first statement on April 9 said: “We are practicing the rule of business and procedures as per university rules, there is no such evidence of wrongdoing. We are upgrading our infrastructure as per emerging needs. The question under discussion is based on disinformation.”

Dawn asked Dr Arif where the material of the demolished buildings had gone if the selling of material was a disinformation.

Responding to the query the next day, Dr Arif changed his stance and said: “Demolished material has been used for improving and up-gradation of existing infrastructure on the campus.”

Dr Arif did not provide any detail when he was asked in which university project the material had been used.

How this idea has been coined that instead of auction, use the material internally? Has any committee been formed by the administration to look after the issue of material utilization?

He only mentioned: “We have again contacted the administration regarding your questions of demolished building material. The administration has not added any information. It is, therefore, requested to consider our previous version as final official statement.”