Badin school budget spending faces fraud allegations

BADIN: Allegations of large-scale fraud have surfaced in Badin over the use of funds released under the School Specific Budget, with local sources and residents claiming that fake bills worth millions of rupees are being processed through the alleged collusion of a vendor network, the Treasury Office and officials in the Education Department.

Active agents have allegedly prepared forged letterheads, stamps and vouchers in the names of bogus vendor companies and are using them to secure approval of bills running into millions. Residents and sources also claimed that in many schools no actual purchases had yet been made despite the billing activity.

The School Specific Budget was introduced by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah. People in education circles have alleged that the scheme is turning into a gold mine for the alleged mafia. The Sindh Education Department had earlier issued a letter directing that the funds allocated under the School Specific Budget be fully utilised and that all bills be submitted to the relevant district accounts offices by June 10, 2026.

For the current financial year, the Sindh government allocated Rs18.67 billion to 34,106 public schools under the School Specific Budget. The money is intended for repairs to schools as well as furniture, stationery, electricity, water, sanitation and other basic requirements.

Concerns over rushed spending

Finance and education experts said transparent use of public funds requires planning, market surveys, quotations, adherence to procurement rules and complete documentation. They warned that pressure to spend the full allocation within a short period was creating concerns about irregularities, poor-quality procurement, overbilling and other financial violations.

Education stakeholders have called on the Sindh Education Department to publicly disclose the total amount released under the School Specific Budget, the dates on which funds were issued, district-wise allocations and the expenditure recorded so far. They said such disclosure was needed to improve transparency and address questions over the use of public money.

Experts also said a phased system of monitoring and expenditure spread across the year would be more effective and transparent than a rush to spend funds at the close of the fiscal year, and would deliver more meaningful benefits to public schools.