QUETTA: The Balochis­tan Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday expressed ser­i­ous reservations over the inefficacy and failure of the irrigation department to complete various development projects, which resulted in billions of rupees in payment overruns.

During a meeting, presided over by chairman Asghar Ali Tareen, the committee reviewed audit paras for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23, as well as appropriation accounts for 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 of the irrigation department.

The committee chairman expressed concern over significant delays in projects of the irrigation department due to departmental inefficiencies, leading to substantial payment overruns.

“Who would bear the costs of these losses?” Mr Tareen questioned and voiced frustration over the department’s unpreparedness, particularly regarding expenditure on clearing shrubs in Hub.

Department ordered to recover overdue payments of millions of rupees within one month

The irrigation department had previously committed in the Depart­mental Accounts Commi­ttee (DAC) to write a letter to the planning and development (P&D) depa­r­tm­ent regarding the removal of shrubs and canal construction.

However, the letter was only sent three days before the meeting, desp­ite the DAC’s decision being made two years ago.

The committee also discussed para 15.2.2, where contractors were overpaid for using substandard materials in a dam project.

Committee member Fazal Qadir Mandokhail criticised the department’s lax approach, questioning why recoveries were not enforced even after the error was acknowledged in the DAC.

The committee directed the department to recover millions of rupees within one month, warning that failure to comply would result in the responsible officer being made an officer on special duty (OSD) for five years.

Committee member Zabid Ali Reki emphasised that wasting public money is a crime, and accountability is necessary.

Chairman Tareen stressed the need for a policy to curb fund mismanagement, noting that departments often return unused budget allocations.

The PAC meeting highlighted major concerns regarding the auditor general’s findings, departmental unpreparedness, and financial irregularities. The committee directed the department to address these issues and return with a well-prepared report within 15 days at the next meeting.

Accountant General for Balochistan Nasarullah Jan, DG Audit Shuja Ali, Irrigation Department Secretary Hafiz Majid, PAC Additional Secretary Sirajuddin Lehri, Addit­ional Secretary of Law Saeed Iqbal, Additional Secretary of Finance Muhammad Arif, Chief Accounts Officer of PAC Syed Muhammad Idrees, and project directors and senior officials from the irrigation department also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2024