Food department is the most corrupt, says accounts watchdog

Audit team reveals Rs70 million went missing, department overspent and created an artificial shortage.

KARACHI:

Sindh’s accounts watchdog has found that Rs70 million was embezzled from the food department accounts over four years.

The food department is the most corrupt in the Sindh government and is “solely responsible for defaming the PPP-led government, said Jam Tamachi Unar, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. He recommended the chief minister take action.

Thirty-eight budget paras or points from the years 2006 to 2009 were discussed at the meeting on Tuesday.

Unar said that gunny bags were sold in the black market across Sindh and food officials had created an artificial shortage. Instead of giving bags to genuine growers, they have been selling them to traders who exploit the growers, he claimed. “The government bought gunny bags for Rs1 million, but it looks like all of them vanished on the very first day.”

He asked Food Secretary Naseer Jamali to dismiss corrupt officials until they pay the money back. Jamali replied that the department is compelled to obey the orders of politicians. “We were asked to reinstate the dismissed officials of the food department. We had no choice, but to obey orders,” he explained.

Audit Director-General Najmul Saqib Siddiqi pointed out that wheat costing Rs38.9 million was reported missing in Khairpur and Naushero Feroz, creating a shortage. No action was taken. The department didn’t do anything when told about the shortage of wheat bags either.

The food secretary said that they were short of 10,897 bags of wheat, out of which 2,136 bags were recovered from officials. “But there is a severe shortage of godowns,” said Jamali. “The Sindh government set a buying target of 1.3 million metric tons of wheat for the current season, but we can only store 600,000 metric tons.” The rest of the wheat is kept in rented godowns, he revealed. “We have an agreement with an international firm to make modern silos.”

During a physical survey in 2008, a misappropriation of wheat bags worth Rs48 million was also reported in Dadu, Hyderabad and Larkana.

The Dadu food deputy director said those who were in charge of the godowns were involved and cases had been lodged against them. The department has also lodged an FIR against an official in Hyderabad and a case has been referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he added.

No tenders

The transportation of wheat cost Rs39.35 million without tenders. “Any work costing more than Rs100,000 should not be executed without tenders and without approval,” said the audit team.

Also, Rs371 million was spent on gunny bags in 2008 even though Rs293 million was already allocated. The department spent Rs78 million over its budget.

Unar directed secretary Jamali to provide him a list of employees involved in the cheating. “Suspend them till the money has been recovered,” he said.

Audit DG Siddiqi discussed how 57,197 wheat bags worth Rs59.13 million were damaged in 2007 — due to the negligence of the food department in Hyderabad, Dadu and Naushero Feroz. “There are reports that some bags were damaged due to rain, but most of them were taken away by food officials,” a member of the audit team said.

Jamali clarified that the damage was caused by heavy rains and a committee headed by the food director is looking into it.

Six paras had been settled out of 38 and the rest were deferred. “We have given them one month to clarify their position with documentary proof. Out of the Rs70 million in anomalies, Rs10 million have been recovered.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2011.