Balochistan: C&W department officers not returning vehicles
Syed Ali Shah :
Some officers of the Balochistan Communication and Works (C&W) Department have not returned official vehicles despite repeated notices. “Dozens of official vehicles are missing”, a well-placed source in the department told Quetta Voice. He requested anonymity.
In a letter addressed to all former project directors, district, and divisional chiefs, the department has directed the return of the official vehicles. “Nobody is taking our letters seriously”, the officer complained.
The Balochistan government has spent over Rs. 1 billion on the purchase of vehicles for the C&W department from 2010 to 2021. The government spent a substantial amount of Rs. 600 million for the purchase of vehicles for the department during the financial year 2020-21.
“Currently, we are tracing 232 vehicles”, the officer mentioned
“Currently, we are tracing 232 vehicles”, the officer mentioned. He said only one project director is yet to return 13 vehicles under his command. The project has completed long ago, but the officers are reluctant about the vehicles. The officer mentioned that some high-level officers have also not returned official vehicles despite repeated notices and requests.
The department has issued letters to the concerned officers following a petition filed in the Balochistan High Court (BHC). The court has directed the department to make sure the recovery of missing official vehicles.
Despite repeated attempts, this scribe was unable to get an official statement from the department. The officials have inflicted millions of financial losses to the national exchequer. The officers continue to claim fuel and amounts for maintenance for a long time.
Poor governance compounds problems of the masses
Balochistan being the resource-rich province of the country is lagging behind other provinces in terms of key social indicators. Poor governance and lack of political commitments appear to be the underlying reasons behind the backwardness and prevailing sense of deprivation among the people.
