Rs86m irregularities detected at QAU: report

Auditor general demands recovery of payments.

ISLAMABAD:

Financial irregularities to the tune of Rs86 million have surfaced at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) in the Auditor General’s annual report for 2012-13.

The varsity management had struck a deal with a transport company, Varan, worth around Rs14.7 million for buying five used buses and 30 tyres, each costing around Rs2.75 million and Rs33,000 respectively despite their having crossed their recommended life, according to the report. The busses and tyres were bought without floating an open tender and at a time when the government had banned such deals. In another instance, the QAU administration reimbursed more than Rs2 million to grade 21 and 22 professors while they were already being paid thousands for transport allowance every month. An irregularity of Rs69.7 million was also revealed in the report on account of house rent paid to varsity’s employees.

Additionally, the varsity rehired a retired chemistry department professor, Shahid Ansari, as examinations controller for two years without the prime minister’s approval, which is mandatory for the appointment. Meanwhile, the names of professors who were not entitled to a pension according to the Tenure Track System --- Naseem Hassan of the chemistry department, Tahir Ameen of the International Relations department and Dr Abdul Hameed of the biology department --- were included in the pensioners’ list.

The report asks for the immediate recovery of irregular payments made on QAU’s behalf.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2013.