KARACHI: Why did the police department pay an electricity bill of Rs32 million for the house of a police officer in Saddar Town five years ago? And why did it spend Rs107 million on buying two jeeps and 18 horses without the approval of the finance department?
These were just some of the questions that the accounting watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), asked the force’s top officials on Tuesday morning. Sindh Inspector General Mushtaq Shah was asked to report back with explanations in 15 days.
Audit Director-General Ghulam Akbar Soho began the proceedings by highlighting the fact that between 2007 and 2008, the police force failed to get back Rs421 million from government and private departments that had hired the services of police guards.
According to police rules, the Sindh police force can provide guards to other agencies, departments, private bodies or people if they pay for it. However, despite many reminders, the force has not been able to get these people to pay the bill. Indeed, according to the auditor, the biggest defaulter was the Karachi Municipal Corporation (the defunct city district government), which owes the police Rs317 million. A media house, daily Kawish, also owes them Rs1.3 million.
The committee also focussed on irregularities worth Rs504 million. It sought detailed explanations for Rs78 million that have not yet been recovered as electricity and house rent allowances from officers residing in police colonies.
Others defaulters highlighted were Jamshed town, the DPO of Sukkur, an SP of the Special Branch, the TPO of Orangi, the SP of the Anti-Car lifting Cell and the SP of the driving licence branch in Karachi. The chairman of committee, Jam Tamachi Unar, asked why was the money paid when house rent and electricity allowances are part of a police officer’s salary?
Additional Chief Secretary for the Home Department Waseem Ahmed explained that this was a complicated problem that existed because of the mismanagement by the Karachi Electric Supply Company. Instead of installing individual meters, it insisted on keeping a bulk supply system to the colonies. He assured the members that progress was being made and separate meters were being installed.
By the end of the session only three out of the 31 points raised by the auditors could be settled.
While Additional IG Sindh Falak Khursheed slept almost throughout the proceedings, Finance DIG Dost Ali Baloch and Additional Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed were left to defend the department alone since the IG was “held up in a meeting with the chief minister” and arrived when the meeting was almost over.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2011.
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