The health of tens of thousands of children were put at risk after being given milk and biscuits not fit for human consumption under the Tawana Pakistan Project, states a special audit report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Instead, the programme launched by the government to address the poor nutritional status of primary school age girls ended up financing elaborate dental treatments and lengthy phone bills of those in a position of authority.
An audit report of Rs1.6 billion spent on the Tawana Pakistan Project reveals that at least Rs363 million was siphoned off in less than two years. This is in addition to Rs385 million paid to suppliers for the procurement of “sour milk.”
Samples of the milk were sent to the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratory following complaints by teachers from 23 schools about the poor quality of milk distributed under the programme.
“The tests revealed that both the milk and the biscuits were not fit for human consumption … the children were exposed to risk of malnutrition and related public hazards,” said the report prepared by the Auditor-General of Pakistan.
Some of the project’s staff members are already in custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on corruption charges, it added.
In September 2002, the previous government launched the nutrition programme in around 4,000 schools. Reports of financial misappropriation started surfacing almost immediately. This led to inquiries by parliament, and a Senate standing committee was formed to probe the findings.
According to the Senate panel, Rs420 million was embezzled by 20 to 25 people.
Chequered history
Tawana Pakistan Project was launched at a cost of Rs1.6 billion. Dr Nasir Jalil was the project director till 2005, after which Irfanullah took charge.
The project was suspended in 2005, but authorities decided to re-launch it on pre-test basis. Funds for it were allocated in March 2006, but the pre-test drive started in March 2007. It was then suspended in November 2007 again.
Where did the money go?
The PAC’s audit report maintains the milk was procured from Vita Pakistan, EM5 and Maza Pakistan. It says the companies were paid for supplying substandard food items rather than being penalised for the same.
EM5 said it received Rs23.2 million, while the records show Rs34.97 million was paid to the vendor. This suggests a discrepancy of Rs11.8 million in just the one case.
In another instance, the report maintains a limit of 20% of total costs was set for administrative expenses. However, the staff managed to spend 51% of its total budget on just administrative overheads.
The management also maintains it bought steamers worth Rs21.5 million, but there is no available record of the transaction.
Furthermore, Rs39 million was spent on renovation of buildings, but the records do not substantiate these claims either. The renovation contracts were awarded to companies based in Islamabad for buildings located in Gwadar, Badin, Lakki Marwat, Pakpattan and Dera Ghazi Khan, raising further doubts over the credibility of the construction.
Another Rs2.4 million was spent on the renovation of the project director’s office. Rs0.28 million was spent on his dental treatment while Rs70,000 was spent on that of his spouse.
Rs0.42 million was incurred as the project director’s mobile phone bills in eight months alone, from February till November 2007.
The report does not specify which one of the project directors was the beneficiary.
Rs0.4 million and then another Rs66,000 were spent on the construction of an attached bath in the project director’s office. Three entries worth Rs0.21 million covered the cost of carpeting and wallpaper in the coordination director’s office.
The monitoring director’s room was renovated at a cost of Rs1.2 million, while another Rs0.4 million was spent on its bathroom.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2012.
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Destroying the nation and hurting children - these people have no shame
The PAC is being uncannily active recently, could it be that it is actually starting to function as it was intended to,. is it possible?
very sad