All departments told to suspend corrupt officials

‘Population dept’s advertisement budget should be increased’.

KARACHI:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended to all Sindh government departments that they suspend officers found cooking the books.

On Tuesday, the accounts watchdog for the provincial government met at the Sindh Assembly committee room to go over population welfare books. PAC chairman Jam Tamachi Unar chaired the meeting which only two members, Ghulam Mujadid Isran and Shama Mithani, attended out of six. Audit director-general Najamul Saqib Siddiqi with his team and the population secretary Rizwan Memon were present.

The audit DG read the paras according to which items worth Rs6.05 million were accounted for, the record of Rs3.2 million had not been produced, Rs4.58 million had been paid to ‘unconcerned people’ and there were no invoices to prove the payment of Rs2.78 million.

These points were discussed in a PAC meeting a few months ago but they were deferred as they needed to be verified. However, the population department did not verify them. The population secretary explained in Tuesday’s meeting that they had issued letters to the officers to explain themselves. “But many of them were on deputation,” he said.

Memon requested the PAC to direct the department to suspend the corrupt officers and those who are not producing the records for the audit team. The PAC chairman accepted the request and directed his staff to issue letters to all departments. Unar also directed for a letter to be written to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, suggesting him increase the advertisement and awareness budget of the population department. A letter should also be sent to owners of private TV channels asking them to air the department’s advertisements free of charge, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th,  2011.