Breaches and tiffs: AG suspends payment system in three districts

Punjab accountant general suspended operation allegedly over posting and transfer of district accounts officers.

LAHORE:

The Punjab accountant general (AG) has suspended operation of the computerised system dealing with payment authorisation in three districts allegedly over posting and transfer of district accounts officers, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The operation of SAP/R-3, a centralised system for public payments’ authorisation had been suspended in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal for last two weeks, a Finance Department official said, requesting anonymity. The system is operated by AG office staff.

He said in last week of May, Punjab AG Zahid Rasheed transferred Bahawalpur accounts officer Ghulam Yaseen Bhatti and posted Muhammad Afzal in his place.

Bhatti refused to relinquish the charge, saying only Finance Department could replace the account officer, the official said. The AG also transferred account officers for Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan. Both refused to hand over the charge, citing the same reason.

The Finance Department had written to the AG, saying that he lacked authority to order the transfers, the official said.

Another Finance Department official said on June 19 the finance additional secretary wrote to the Punjab AG and said the closure hampered the utilisation of funds and impeded the development process. In a letter to the AG on June 16, the finance secretary asked for restoring the system.

In another letter, the finance secretary said to the AG office that declining claims submitted after June 16 was in breach of Finance Department’s instructions. The Express Tribune contacted the AG who declined comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2014.