Embezzling funds : Works and Services official refuses to go even after being fired several times
Public Accounts Committee yet to recover Rs25m from the dept.
KARACHI:
After embezzling funds worth millions of rupees, an official of the Sindh government works and services department refuses to leave even after being "dismissed" several times.
According to the department's secretary, they recommended the dismissal of Ali Sajjad, who is a former resident engineer of Sindh House, Islamabad, which comes under their domain. Sajjad has misappropriated funds, made unauthorised payments and carried out irregular expenses, yet he manages to stay employed, said secretary Rasul Bux Phulpoto, while briefing the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly on Monday.
"We have issued many notifications, suggesting the higher officials dismiss him because he bungled the government budget, whenever and wherever, he had the chance during his posting," Phulpoto added. Committee chairman Jam Tamachi Unar directed his secretary to write a letter to the chief minister and the governor.
Earlier, audit director-general Najmul Saqib Siddiqi briefed the meeting about the period from 2006 to 2009.
He said that the works and services department owes officials and contractors Rs127 million.
The department requested the audit team give them more time to adjust the amount but nothing has been done so far, he said. Siddiqi added that Rs6.5 million was paid to contractors for excess execution during the construction work on seven provincial buildings of the department.
Phulpoto responded by saying that they had given justifications to the audit team, instead of Sindh House, Islamabad, where the former resident engineer had paid contractors Rs1.5 million without approval. The same official bungled Rs3.67 million between 2007 and 2008 by paying contractors without approval. "He stayed in Islamabad for three years and misappropriated millions of rupees," he said. Contractors were paid Rs34 million in 2007-2008 for 13 provincial highways without the proper approval. Works and services officials award contracts on a specific commission.
Unar remarked that there was no monitoring committee to review the work done on roads. "The roads are in very poor condition even after one year. How has this happened?" he asked. The officials had to answer but requested the chairman to settle this particular audit para or point. Unar deferred it and asked them to justify how they paid the contractors.
The audit director-general also brought up irregular payments worth Rs11.5 million to contractors. He pointed out that Rs7.2 million were generated from income tax and professional tax by the works and services department in Hyderabad, Mithi, Larkana and Mirpurkhas. However, officials deposited the amount in their personal accounts instead of the government treasury.
Quoting the officials of Sindh House, Islamabad, Siddiqi said that occupancy shares of Rs82,538 were not recovered from occupants. According to the records, Sindh House has not received a payment from Syed Ali Bux Shah alias Papu Shah, who was the former population minister, Muhammad Sharif Baloch, who is a senior member of the Federal Land Commission, and Munawar Opel, who is a bureaucrat. They have been given numerous reminders.
Siddiqi pointed out that the security deposit, worth Rs145 million, was deducted from the bills of contractors in four divisions, including Tharparkar, Dadu, Sukkur and Naushero Feroz, but the money was lying unclaimed with public works. The money is supposed to be deposited in government accounts.
Additionally, the Sindh Road Sector Development Programme project director paid Rs7.6 million for machines and equipment but none of this is on paper. Secretary Phulpoto said that they had paid the money according to recommendations from engineers and consultants and he showed the records.
Later, Unar told the media that they recovered only Rs3 million during the audit but have yet to get back Rs25 million.
The committee has given the department a month to either pay up or justify the spending. They discussed 38 audit paras or points, out of which 20 were settled and 18 were put off.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2011.
After embezzling funds worth millions of rupees, an official of the Sindh government works and services department refuses to leave even after being "dismissed" several times.
According to the department's secretary, they recommended the dismissal of Ali Sajjad, who is a former resident engineer of Sindh House, Islamabad, which comes under their domain. Sajjad has misappropriated funds, made unauthorised payments and carried out irregular expenses, yet he manages to stay employed, said secretary Rasul Bux Phulpoto, while briefing the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly on Monday.
"We have issued many notifications, suggesting the higher officials dismiss him because he bungled the government budget, whenever and wherever, he had the chance during his posting," Phulpoto added. Committee chairman Jam Tamachi Unar directed his secretary to write a letter to the chief minister and the governor.
Earlier, audit director-general Najmul Saqib Siddiqi briefed the meeting about the period from 2006 to 2009.
He said that the works and services department owes officials and contractors Rs127 million.
The department requested the audit team give them more time to adjust the amount but nothing has been done so far, he said. Siddiqi added that Rs6.5 million was paid to contractors for excess execution during the construction work on seven provincial buildings of the department.
Phulpoto responded by saying that they had given justifications to the audit team, instead of Sindh House, Islamabad, where the former resident engineer had paid contractors Rs1.5 million without approval. The same official bungled Rs3.67 million between 2007 and 2008 by paying contractors without approval. "He stayed in Islamabad for three years and misappropriated millions of rupees," he said. Contractors were paid Rs34 million in 2007-2008 for 13 provincial highways without the proper approval. Works and services officials award contracts on a specific commission.
Unar remarked that there was no monitoring committee to review the work done on roads. "The roads are in very poor condition even after one year. How has this happened?" he asked. The officials had to answer but requested the chairman to settle this particular audit para or point. Unar deferred it and asked them to justify how they paid the contractors.
The audit director-general also brought up irregular payments worth Rs11.5 million to contractors. He pointed out that Rs7.2 million were generated from income tax and professional tax by the works and services department in Hyderabad, Mithi, Larkana and Mirpurkhas. However, officials deposited the amount in their personal accounts instead of the government treasury.
Quoting the officials of Sindh House, Islamabad, Siddiqi said that occupancy shares of Rs82,538 were not recovered from occupants. According to the records, Sindh House has not received a payment from Syed Ali Bux Shah alias Papu Shah, who was the former population minister, Muhammad Sharif Baloch, who is a senior member of the Federal Land Commission, and Munawar Opel, who is a bureaucrat. They have been given numerous reminders.
Siddiqi pointed out that the security deposit, worth Rs145 million, was deducted from the bills of contractors in four divisions, including Tharparkar, Dadu, Sukkur and Naushero Feroz, but the money was lying unclaimed with public works. The money is supposed to be deposited in government accounts.
Additionally, the Sindh Road Sector Development Programme project director paid Rs7.6 million for machines and equipment but none of this is on paper. Secretary Phulpoto said that they had paid the money according to recommendations from engineers and consultants and he showed the records.
Later, Unar told the media that they recovered only Rs3 million during the audit but have yet to get back Rs25 million.
The committee has given the department a month to either pay up or justify the spending. They discussed 38 audit paras or points, out of which 20 were settled and 18 were put off.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2011.