LARKANA, Feb 26: An audit team has found irregularities to the tune of Rs106.920 million in the district government spending, according to Sindh director general (district audit) Nooruddin Shaikh.

He said that an audit report of the accounts of the Larkana district government for the fiscal 2002-3 had been submitted to the Sindh governor.

He was talking to Dawn after visiting the regional audit office and the district accounts office here on Saturday.

About audit observations, he said that over-spending paired with lack of transparency in decision making in procurement and non-maintenance of accounts books were found common in the working of the district government.

Lack of proper accounts maintenance was noted at the union council level, he said and added that the audit report called for action against those responsible for lapses.

To plug irregularities, the internal audit system should be strengthened through training, Mr Shaikh said.

He said that there was a dire need for amendments to the financial rules and training of government officials to enable them to properly deal with financial matters.

He said that in amendments to the Delegation of Powers under the Financial Rules and Powers of Re-appropriation Rules 1962 were needed to properly run financial matters in government departments.

PROTEST: The staff suspended work at the district account office here on Saturday as a sign of protest against the Anti-Corruption Establishment officials for arresting sub-accountant of the Chandka Medical College Ghulam Mustafa Lashari on the charges of fraud.

The pen-down strike for second day affected financial transactions pertaining to government departments.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the DCO visited the office and succeeded in persuading the staff to call off the strike. However, the leaders of the staff action committee said that they had temporarily deferred the strike.

Talking to Dawn, some officials of the district accounts office claimed that the office had nothing to do with the defrauded amount of Rs2,060,000, pertaining to electricity dues of the college.

Meanwhile, officials of the Anti-Corruption Establishment continued investigation into the matter and interrogated sub-accountant Saqleen Shahani and junior auditor Gul Hassan Soomro.