Robbery at govt medicines depot: Probe recommends penalty to security company for breach of contract.

Byline: Asif Chaudhry

LAHORE -- The Primary and Secondary Health Care Department (P and SHD) has declared the private security company guilty of dereliction of duty after Rs15.3 million robbery at the Government Medical Store Depot (MSD) on Multan Road.

It has recommended recovery of the amount from the M/S TCS Logistics (PVT) Ltd as penalty for the damage the government suffered owing to the crime that took place a week ago.

The recommendations have been furnished in an inquiry report finalised by a three-member committee constituted by P and SHD Secretary Mohammad Usman.

The committee also identified loopholes in the security arrangements besides discrepancy in the statements of the guards deputed by the company, creating doubts about the 'robbery incident'.

A band of 10 robbers took away 522 cartons (236 of Septran tablets and 286 of Augmentain tablets) that had been declared substandard by the Drug Testing Laboratory after entering the government MSD on Multan Road on Dec 12.

Headed by the director monitoring and evaluation, the committee comprised additional director health and director pharmacy.

According to the findings of the report, the Director General Health Services Punjab had acquired two warehouses - Maraka I and II - on Multan Road. These warehouses were declared sub MSD vide notification No 5262-65/PC of May 2, 2019.

The DGHS signed a one-year service contract with the successful bidder M/S TCS Logistics (Pvt) Ltd., for security. The committee claimed that under the contract the TCS was responsible for the security of goods by applying strong and continuous chain of custody, applying Safety and Quality Codes, 24 /7 CCTV monitoring and breach proof electronic surveillance against loss of property from fire, theft and loss.

'As per clause 5(c) of the contract the company in question is responsible for any damage to the goods during warehousing and shall be liable to the penalty equal to the value of goods damaged,' reads the report.

It has identified serious...