The federal government has unilaterally appointed junior federal officers as Divisional Accounts Officers (DAOs) in all 43 districts of Punjab for the disbursement of public funds for the Public Works Department, bypassing constitutional and legal protocols and irking the Punjab Finance Department.
These appointments have effectively stripped Punjab's District Accounts Officers (DAOs) of their constitutional authority over the disbursement of public funds, particularly for the Public Works Department.
The move has sparked strong discontent within Punjab's Finance Department, which has raised the issue at a higher administrative level. In each district, two to three DAOs have been appointed, and they have already authorised payments exceeding Rs1 billion soon after assuming their roles.
Members of the ruling PML-N have formally opposed this decision. MPA Ilyas Chinioti has submitted a motion of adjournment in the Punjab Assembly, arguing that the move violates the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which grants provinces administrative autonomy. The motion demands that the federal government immediately withdraw its decision.
The newly appointed federal officers are reportedly in grade 16 and 17, whereas Punjab's DAOs hold the more senior grade 18 posts. The reallocation of financial control to federal officers is seen as a direct infringement on provincial jurisdiction.
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