Audit finds Rs7.24b financial irregularities by KP relief department

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Auditor General has raised 86 objections of “irregular” spending against the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122 authorities of KP relief department.

Th audit objections of Rs7.24b have been raised, which also include irregularities in the payment of assistance fund to people affected by terrorism in tribal districts. The process of contract issued for the purchase of uniforms for Rescue1122 official was also declared “non-transparent”.

According to the annual audit report for 2021-22, Rs590 million have been paid in cash to the militancy hit families, however, the district administration and security forces don’t have the records of the victims. The audit report also raise objection over the cash payment as compensation for destroyed houses and markets and said that Rs1.98 billion has been paid in “violation of rules and regulations”. 

Similarly, the report said, the PDMA has not paid Rs150 million to people affected by military operations against terrorism in South Waziristan while over Rs340 million were transferred to the “profit account” of the Deputy Commissioner of South Waziristan.

The audit report also raised an objection that 20 districts, including Peshawar, was directed to return the unused Covid-19 fund to the provincial government, but till the end of the year,  the PDMA yet to return Rs90.69mn unused fund to the government. 

According to the audit report, Rs56.3mn provided by the federal government as financial assistance to the people affected by terrorism was transferred to another account for profit, which is “illegal”. An objection of Rs130.48  was raised on the purchase process as the contractor’s documents were “incomplete”.

Similarly, an objection of Rs120. 69mn has been raised due to the lack of a comprehensive record of the provision of fund to the militancy victims people. According to the audit report, Rs7.39mn have spent on the purchase of kitchen sets, Rs40.1mn on the purchase of blankets, while Rs20.7mn were spent on the purchase of beds.

Meanwhile, the purchase of uniforms worth Rs60 mn for the Rescue 1122 staff also termed  “suspicious”. 

The report further said that the PDMA is allowed to recruite on class 4 employees on emergency bases but the authority has also recruited  employees up to grade 18 on an emergency basis incurring a loss of Rs40.2mn in term of salaries.

The report said that Rs50.29mn worth contract was awarded to an “unqualified company” for the fabrication of recovery vehicles. Similarly, Rs20. 57mn objection was raised on a mobile company which the report said was awarded contract without any advertisement. It was also revealed by the audit report that Rs5mn was not made from the mobile company.

An objection has also raised on the unused fund of Rs2.3mn in the account of Deputy Commissioner Peshawar and Rs1.34mn in the account of Deputy Commissioner Nowshera.

The military operation victims in Khyber district could not be paid Rs30mn and instead of paying the victims, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar has issued cheques of Rs10.7mn in the name of Tehsildar. The process of purchasing video cameras worth Rs10.11mn was declared “non-transparent”. An objection of Rs2mn was raised on the purchase of search lights and Rs1.5mn on awarding the transportation contract.