AGP Akhtar Buland Rana. PHOTO: FILE
Auditor General of Pakistan Akhtar Buland Rana continues to receive a monthly sum of Rs118,000 in car monetisation allowance despite not being entitled to it. So far. the federal government has baulked at the possibility of ordering an end to the facility and recovering the allowance despite a report which is said to have determined the wrongdoing.
Rana has been claiming the allowance since January 2012, even though he rides in a chauffeur-driven car.
Sources in the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) office told The Express Tribune that a report on Rana’s withdrawal of the car monetisation allowance was submitted to the finance ministry along with his pay slip, establishing the fact that he was getting the money.
The AGPR office submitted the report to the Controller General of Accounts Asif Usman, who forwarded it to the ministry of finance last month. Usman confirmed to The Express Tribune that he has submitted the report to the ministry. He said the report, prepared by the AGPR office, confirmed that the auditor general was drawing the car allowance.
The ministry of finance had sought a response from the AGPR office after a media report highlighted the wrongdoing. On the basis of the report, the ministry was supposed to order the withdrawal of the facility and also to recover the amount already paid in car allowance.
In order to curb the misuse of official cars, the previous government had withdrawn all official vehicles from grade 20, 21 and 22 officers in return of approximately Rs68,000, Rs85,000 and Rs95,910 car allowance respectively for them.
Despite the fact that Rana rides in a chauffer-driven car; he got the allowance even after opposition by both the finance ministry and the Cabinet Division. The Cabinet Division had opposed the move on the grounds that constitutional position holders like the AGP were not entitled to such an allowance.
Currently, the auditor general earns a salary 20% higher than the maximum salary payable to a grade-22 officer. On the same grounds, he got a monthly car allowance which is 20% higher than what is available to a grade-22 officer. Of this, about Rs95,910 is claimed in car monetisation allowance, while a 20% additional allowance is charged on the same account, according to the pay slip of the auditor general.
After deeming this illegal, the then AGPR Farah Ayub Tarin refused to extend the facility to Rana.
Angered by the refusal, Rana replaced Tarin and appointed Manzar Hafeez Mian as AGPR who sanctioned him the car allowance.
A finance ministry official confirmed that the AGPR office has submitted a report on the illegal car allowance. Another official said that the report has not yet been put up for a decision by Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood.
Since January 2012, Rana has drawn about Rs2.2 million in car allowance. Masood is supposed to order recovery of the amount.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2013.
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Audacity of this crook is unbelievable. Why we have to wait to CJ for everything. Why don't institutions start taking their own roles. Kick this man out and recover stolen money.
Is he not a Canadian citizen?. How is he holding this position?
In the first place, the appointment of Buland Akhter Rana was made by disqualified-PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, who was on the spree of Cronyism http://tribune.com.pk/story/238175/controversial-appointment-buland-akhtar-rana-named-new-auditor-general/ and appointed cronies like Zain Sukhera (Hajj scandal), Adnan Khawaja (OGDCL scandal) and Khushnood Akhter Lashari (Ephedrine scandal) etc who have looted Billions of Rupees from national kitty. . Buland Akhter Rana, a dual national, has been associated with PPP and was a close friend of younger brother of Yousaf Raza Gilani http://tribune.com.pk/story/223226/new-appointment-pm-promotes-friend-props-up-chances-of-top-auditors-post/ . The investigations against all these mega corruption scandals were impeded by the PPP government through delaying tactics & frequently changing the investigators during the last 5 years. Unfortunately, after the exit of PPP government, when the Supreme Court is striving to recover the looted wealth of Pakistani taxpayers, Imran Khan starts following the footsteps of the PPP and distracts the Supreme Court in unnecessary fights. The looted wealth should also be recovered from all those who made these illegal appointments.
Is there anyone who's at all straight and honest here? Stupid as we are, seems we have put a thief right here robbing us while we expect him to catch a thief.
Interestingly, last week I saw a car with registration plate mentioning Auditor General of Pakistan and it was being driven by a minor. What law allows him to brandish his title on his personal car and allowing a minor to drive the car recklessly.
??? why is this a head line?
Who audits the supreme court? What about all the extravagant security provided to the judges and millions of rupees spent on Supreme Court rest houses across Pakistan?
@Usman:
umm yes it is MUCH more important. i'm not saying this is not important, but we definitely need to analyze what PTI does in KPK after its BIG promises. so far we have seen precious little for them, except making a mockery of their provincial mandate after their central leaders keep calling for strikes and protests as if they are are no longer a formal part of the political setup in the country. you PTI supporters are so insufferable.
Auditor General/ Accountant General represent pre-audit and post audit, unfortunately both audits brings nothing to nation but loss in term of clearances of various bogus billings.
Do in Rome, do as the Romans do
Everything is fair in Love, War and of course Pakistan :).
That's ok, we're busy analysing PTI's failures in KPK, which is much more important than corruption in the federal government.
Who audits the auditors?
Waiting on CJ to take notice of contempt of public(money)