PAC finds irregularities of Rs213m in welfare dept

Committee irked by the way officials failed to comply during the audit.

KARACHI: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Sindh, while expressing concern over irregularities of Rs213 million in the accounts of the population and welfare department, asked the Sindh chief minister and the chief secretary to take action against the officials who, instead of justifying the expenses, insulted the members of the provincial watchdog.

These remarks were given by PAC chairperson Saleem Jalbani while presiding over a meeting in the Sindh Assembly committee room on Monday.  During the meeting the provincial watchdog was supposed to look into the accounts of the department, reviewing the audit for 2008-09, but the officials accused of misappropriating the funds failed to produce the records.



"There are serious allegations against your department but you have not produced the records of how the money was utilised by your officers," said Jalbani, addressing population and welfare department secretary Saleem Khuhro.

In response, Khuhro said that they have now brought the relevant records with them. However, this further irked the PAC members, including the chairman. "This is the second meeting pertaining to the irregularities unearthed in your department in 2008-09. Earlier, the then secretary of your department had promised at this forum to produce the record," said Jalbani. "As per the rules, you have to submit the working papers while justifying the irregularities at least three days before this sitting. We want to know why you are employing these delaying tactics."

The secretary had, however, no valid justification and instead promised that this will not happen again.

This failed to appease the PAC, who demanded action against the officials responsible. "Despite our repeated requests to the chief minister and the chief secretary, the bureaucrats are rude and fail to take this forum seriously," said the chairman, asking his staff to write to the chief minister for action. "PAC, being the provincial watchdog, has to monitor the utilisation of public money. It looks like we are wasting our time and are utilising the government budget for nothing."

There were a total of 10 audit paras pertaining to irregularities worth Rs213 million. The report revealed that Rs150 million was allocated by the department to hold satellite clinics or camps once a week in rural areas. The officials of the department instead used up the amount without arranging the camps.

Another audit para revealed that Rs8 million were paid to male moblisers without renewing their contracts. The audit general in his report said, "This amount was paid by the officials in 10 districts in violation of the rules. Those who were given the money were not entitled to it.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2014.