LAHORE, Oct 28: The Auditor-General of Pakistan has pointed out Rs4.56 billion worth of misappropriation in Wapda during 1999-2000.

In a report, recently taken up by the Public Accounts Committee and reportedly submitted to the president, the AGP has divided these paras into 10 different heads.

According to the report, Rs3.30 billion were misappropriated in 18 cases of violation of propriety; Rs102.72 million in 13 cases of losses; Rs22.44 million in two cases of overpayment; Rs6.48 million in a case of accounting error; Rs226.88 million in eight cases of negligence; Rs597.19 million in three cases of misappropriation, misuse and theft; Rs199.15 million in nine cases of recoveries; Rs39.03 million in six cases of mis-classification of tariff; Rs28.653 million in two cases of non-production of record; and Rs37.37 million in three cases put under the head of “others”.

“As a result of audit of accounts for the year 1999-2000, financial irregularities involving millions of rupees have been included in this report. The irregularities indicate that (Wapda) management did not exercise due financial discipline in discharging its obligations,” says the report.

“The auditorial checks are also exercised by the internal audit which is responsible for carrying out an independent review of consumer accounts being maintained in Xen/RO offices to certify the correction of electricity billing. The objective of the internal audit is to pre-audit all payments to obviate chances of financial irregularities. Despite presence of a large organization which incurred Rs171.548 million, numerous irregularities of common occurrence were pointed out by statutory audit in audit report, a few of which are quoted by the way of illustration. These irregularities speak of non-implementation of internal control resulting in over-payments and non-recoveries. In the presence of a large internal audit organization on which a huge expenditure is incurred, these irregularities should not have occurred,” the report said.