Flour scheme in NAB crosshairs

Graft buster complains about lack of access to data

LAHORE:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has complained in a letter written to the Punjab chief secretary about not having been provided accurate data in time for an investigation into the Ramazan package free flour scheme.

According to sources, the bureau stated that the deputy commissioners of 28 districts had not provided reconciled data regarding the scheme as per written instructions.

It asserted that the situation was being brought to the notice of the chief secretary because the ‘inordinate delay’ in providing reconciled data was delaying the conclusion of the case.

The preliminary figures provided by the DCs needed to be explained and reconciled, it added.

Also read: Flour schemes raise circular debt

According to the letter, the deputy commissioners of 13 districts had received 736,425 flour bags more than the figures available in the data of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). The value of the bags left unaccounted was Rs718 million. The DCs of 15 districts received 82,002 bags less than PITB data, which were worth Rs80 million.

The letter pointed out that 1,768,490 bags had been distributed in Bahawalpur as per the PITB data, but the DC office had reported that 1,767,484 bags had been received. A similar anomaly was noticed in Chakwal where 564,273 free flour bags had been distributed according to the mobile application but 562,439 bags had been received according to the district administration.

According to Price App data, 695,712 bags had been distributed in Chiniot but the DC had reported that 562,439 bags had been received.

The PITB data shows that 411,085 bags were distributed in Jehlum but according to the district administration, 407,899 bags were received; 1,278,495 bags were distributed in Khanewal and 1,275,182 received; 2,014,143 bags distributed in Multan and 1,989,506 received; and 2,698,773 bags were distributed in Rahim Yar Khan according to the app, while the district administration reported that 2,672,831 bags had been received.

Similarly, more bags were distributed in Khushab, Multan, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh and Vihari according to the app but the district administration showed less collection.

Also read: Embezzled funds in flour scheme ‘more than Rs20b’

The districts in which the administration’s figures were higher that the PITB record include Attock, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhang, Kasur, Lahore, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Nankana Sahib, Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura.

The sources said the deputy commissioners and the food department had increased the speed of data reconciliation on the instructions of the chief secretary.

They said NAB officials also had concerns over the collection of Rs10 per bag by the district administration from flour mills under the scheme across Punjab. Specific investigations related to some districts are also being carried out.

District administration officials had collected this amount from the mills, saying that the expenses of the free flour distribution centers would be met from the collected amount.

The source said questions had been raised about the spending of the collected amount.

The deputy commissioners of some districts had used the data of flour supply reported by the mills as the basis for collecting the Rs10 per bag.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2023.