Auditors point out deficiencies in SDG schemes

Disparity in allocation of funds among divisions of province reported

FAISALABAD:

The Auditor General of Pakistan has reportedly pointed out irregularities of a substantial amount during a special audit of Sustainable Development Programme schemes for the financial years 2016-17 and 2017-18 of the Punjab government under the targets set by the federal Planning Commission.

As per data provided by the departments,15,323 schemes having a budget outlay of Rs50.07 billion were executed by the communications and works, local government and community development, housing and urban development and public health engineering departments and Cholistan Development Authority.

The federal government had allocated funds to Punjab to achieve the targets enumerated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sources said the audit report termed the criteria for selection of projects deficient in planning. It said the objectives of the SDGs were not kept in view while allocating funds.

During the audit, the AGP observed that the community participation was ignored as the criterion for selecting 15 residents was not defined and people were selected randomly to get endorsement for a scheme. The auditors reportedly stated that the aspect of planning and evaluation seemed missing and most of the funds were spent on the infrastructure and municipal sectors. Resultantly, the schemes were nor selected in line with the SDGs.

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The audit report also observed that there was a disparity in allocation of funds in the nine divisions of Punjab. Highest allocation of Rs10 billion to Rs12 billion was made to Lahore and Gujranwala divisions, whereas Rs3.5 - Rs4 billion was allocated for Dera Ghazi Khan and Rawalpindi divisions. Underdeveloped areas like DG Khan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha divisions were allocated minimum funds under the SDGs programme. The annual allocation of funds to the divisions was Lahore Rs12,642 million, Gujranwala Rs10,259 million, Multan Rs6,088 million, Sahiwal Rs4,982 million, Faisalabad Rs4,857 million, Sargodha Rs4,773 million, Bahawalpur Rs4,493 million, Rawalpindi Rs4,014 million and DG Khan Rs3,561 million.

The sources said that the audit took serious notice of the performance of executing departments, which was not up to the mark as 481 schemes, including 46 of communications and works, 259 of housing and urban development and public health engineering and 176 of local government and community development could not be launched and the allocated funds lapsed. It also reportedly noted that completion certificates (PC-IVs) and final bills of contractors of many completed schemes were not prepared in violation of the cabinet division’s directions and contractual obligations.

It stated that the supervisory tier failed to exercise vigilance for proper utilisation of funds and execution of schemes. The audit reportedly found financial irregularities of Rs576.397 million involving overpayment due to higher or incorrect rates, non-recovery of government dues, unauthorised utilisation without approval of the competent authority and violation of PC-1.

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Funds transferred by the cabinet division to the tune of Rs4.5 billion remained unspent and they were neither transferred back to the federal government nor their accounts were submitted to the audit department. The report recommended that non-production of record needed to be dealt with strictly to avoid its recurrence.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2020.