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Punjab govt may file hundreds of cases
By Tariq Butt
Saturday, November 08, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government is considering filing multitudes of corruption cases against hundreds of incumbent and former local government representatives and officials who allegedly robbed the public exchequer of over Rs 52 billion in the past eight years.
The findings of the special audit conducted in three phases of 143 Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) of the Punjab have been sent to the Local Government Commission established under the relevant law, a senior Punjab government official told The News.
He said the commission would examine each and every case of embezzlement and irregularity, and make recommendations for registration of corruption and criminal cases against the apparently guilty TMA chairmen and officials.
The Punjab cabinet decided in April this year that a special audit of district governments and TMAs should be carried out, their record be taken over by the district coordination officers (DCOs) and Tehsil municipal officers (TMOs) and third party validation and checking of financial expenditures and execution of development schemes in the local governments
since their creation in 2001 be conducted by private firms.
The first phase of the audit, which is still under way, covers the period between 2006-07 and March 31, 2008, the second between phase 2004-05 and 2005-06 and the third between 2001-02 and 2003-04.
So far, in the first phase special audit has been completed in 143 TMAs while the audit of one TMA is under process. In the second phase, audit of 142 TMAs has been concluded while two are under process. In the third stage, audit of 79 TMAs has been completed while 65 are under process.
In all the three phases, the TMA Jatoi of Muzaffargarh district refused to provide the record to the special auditors, the official said. In the first phase, a loss of Rs 28,138.2 million was detected while in the second, a loss of Rs 24,580.2 million was discovered.
In the first phase, in Lahore division, loss totalling Rs 4,172.5 million was discovered, in Faisalabad division (Rs 11,417.8 million), in Gujranwala division (Rs 3,044.2 million), in Rawalpindi division (Rs 10,545.9 million), in Multan division (Rs 2,858.5 million), in Sargodha division (Rs 2,383.1 million), in Dera Ghazi Khan division (Rs 1,277.7 million), and in Bahawalpur division (Rs 2,438.5 million).
In the second phase, loss in Lahore division amounted to Rs 2,577.7 million, in Faisalabad division (Rs 2,787 million), in Gujranwala division (Rs 2,886.5 million), in Rawalpindi division (Rs 12,277 million), in Multan division (Rs 1,265 million), in Sargodha division (Rs 1,053.6 million), in Dera Ghazi Khan (Rs 324.4 million) and Bahawalpur division (Rs 1,409.7 million).
As listed in the special audit report, the public exchequer was deprived of Rs 52,719.1 million through loss in own source revenue, misuse of authority, excess overpayment, misappropriation, embezzlement and procedural irregularities.
Suspected loss in own source revenue of Rs 15,394.6 million was caused due to leasing out of collection of local taxes, fees, water rates, rents, charges, surcharges at non-competitive rates, etc., alienation of immovable property (transfer of municipal land and plots unlawfully or without realising appropriate value), non-imposition of commercialisation charges, non-recovery of revenue in areas and unadjusted advances.
Excess or overpayments of Rs 1,108.3 million related to payments made at incorrect rates, expenditure made over and above budget allocations, etc., and wrong calculations. Misappropriation or embezzlement of Rs 1,268.1 million related to amounts collected as fees, taxes, rents, rates, etc., not credited to TMA fund or credited after inordinate delay.
Irregular payments of Rs 2,377.5 million covered payments made on invalid charge, without lead chart and for works at unidentified sites. Procedural irregularities related to lapses in auctioning leases and departmental collections, amounts received less than the budget estimates and non-rendition of accounts.
By Tariq Butt
Saturday, November 08, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government is considering filing multitudes of corruption cases against hundreds of incumbent and former local government representatives and officials who allegedly robbed the public exchequer of over Rs 52 billion in the past eight years.
The findings of the special audit conducted in three phases of 143 Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) of the Punjab have been sent to the Local Government Commission established under the relevant law, a senior Punjab government official told The News.
He said the commission would examine each and every case of embezzlement and irregularity, and make recommendations for registration of corruption and criminal cases against the apparently guilty TMA chairmen and officials.
The Punjab cabinet decided in April this year that a special audit of district governments and TMAs should be carried out, their record be taken over by the district coordination officers (DCOs) and Tehsil municipal officers (TMOs) and third party validation and checking of financial expenditures and execution of development schemes in the local governments
since their creation in 2001 be conducted by private firms.
The first phase of the audit, which is still under way, covers the period between 2006-07 and March 31, 2008, the second between phase 2004-05 and 2005-06 and the third between 2001-02 and 2003-04.
So far, in the first phase special audit has been completed in 143 TMAs while the audit of one TMA is under process. In the second phase, audit of 142 TMAs has been concluded while two are under process. In the third stage, audit of 79 TMAs has been completed while 65 are under process.
In all the three phases, the TMA Jatoi of Muzaffargarh district refused to provide the record to the special auditors, the official said. In the first phase, a loss of Rs 28,138.2 million was detected while in the second, a loss of Rs 24,580.2 million was discovered.
In the first phase, in Lahore division, loss totalling Rs 4,172.5 million was discovered, in Faisalabad division (Rs 11,417.8 million), in Gujranwala division (Rs 3,044.2 million), in Rawalpindi division (Rs 10,545.9 million), in Multan division (Rs 2,858.5 million), in Sargodha division (Rs 2,383.1 million), in Dera Ghazi Khan division (Rs 1,277.7 million), and in Bahawalpur division (Rs 2,438.5 million).
In the second phase, loss in Lahore division amounted to Rs 2,577.7 million, in Faisalabad division (Rs 2,787 million), in Gujranwala division (Rs 2,886.5 million), in Rawalpindi division (Rs 12,277 million), in Multan division (Rs 1,265 million), in Sargodha division (Rs 1,053.6 million), in Dera Ghazi Khan (Rs 324.4 million) and Bahawalpur division (Rs 1,409.7 million).
As listed in the special audit report, the public exchequer was deprived of Rs 52,719.1 million through loss in own source revenue, misuse of authority, excess overpayment, misappropriation, embezzlement and procedural irregularities.
Suspected loss in own source revenue of Rs 15,394.6 million was caused due to leasing out of collection of local taxes, fees, water rates, rents, charges, surcharges at non-competitive rates, etc., alienation of immovable property (transfer of municipal land and plots unlawfully or without realising appropriate value), non-imposition of commercialisation charges, non-recovery of revenue in areas and unadjusted advances.
Excess or overpayments of Rs 1,108.3 million related to payments made at incorrect rates, expenditure made over and above budget allocations, etc., and wrong calculations. Misappropriation or embezzlement of Rs 1,268.1 million related to amounts collected as fees, taxes, rents, rates, etc., not credited to TMA fund or credited after inordinate delay.
Irregular payments of Rs 2,377.5 million covered payments made on invalid charge, without lead chart and for works at unidentified sites. Procedural irregularities related to lapses in auctioning leases and departmental collections, amounts received less than the budget estimates and non-rendition of accounts.
