Quetta:Â The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly, chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, has revealed serious financial irregularities worth billions of rupees during a review of audit and compliance reports.
The meeting was attended by PAC members, senior officials of the Board of Revenue, Finance and Audit Departments, along with commissioners and deputy commissioners from across the province.
Major Audit Findings
- Unreturned Savings: In FY 2016–17, Rs. 3,336.1 million was allocated under non-development funds. While Rs. 2,595.47 million was spent, Rs. 740.6 million in savings was not surrendered, reflecting poor financial management.
- Missing Records: During 2019–20 and 2020–21, the Board of Revenue failed to submit expenditure records of Rs. 33.736 million, blocking proper scrutiny.
- Funds in Private Accounts: Between 2020–21 and 2021–22, deputy commissioners’ offices kept Rs. 19,144.236 million in bank accounts instead of depositing it into the government treasury, in violation of rules.
- Uncollected Taxes: From 2019–21, the government lost Rs. 1,101.469 million in revenue as Usher, Abiana (irrigation tax), and agricultural income tax were not collected.
- Rule-Breaking Payments: From 2019–22, commissioners and deputy commissioners made payments of Rs. 228.964 million through DDO cheques instead of paying vendors directly.
Committee’s Directives
Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen ordered:
- Immediate submission of pending records to PAC and the Audit Department.
- Depositing of all withheld funds into the government treasury.
- Inquiries and possible disciplinary action against responsible officers.
The PAC expressed concern that many deputy commissioners ignored directives issued in 2020. Members warned that if orders are not implemented within a month, strict action will be taken against those officials.
Final Warning
The PAC concluded that financial discipline is impossible without strict adherence to rules and regulations and stressed that negligence will no longer be tolerated.
