March 1, 2003	Saturday	Zul Hijjah 27, 1423

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MANSEHRA, Feb 28: The provincial government, after a detailed investigation into the affairs of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) has unearthed irregularities in its development schemes in Mansehra district and the tribal belt of Kala Dhaka.

In a meeting with the SRSP staff held in Peshawar on Jan 2, the NWFP additional chief secretary Jehangir Bashir asked the SRSP to justify expenses to the tune of Rs42.921 million, it is reliably learnt.

The sources informed that the amount included Rs7 million stuck-up loans granted in the income generation schemes.

The SRSP also had no explanation to another Rs17.534 million nor they could explain socio-economic benefits of spending such an amount, the sources said.

Also, there are several schemes which require Rs4 million for completion.

It is learnt that the SRSP received grants in the names of fake rural organizations.

The SRSP, formerly called Sarhad Rural Support Corporation, has been charging Rs260,000 from the Mansehra Village Support Project (MVSP) for the formation of each village organization, the sources added.

The sources revealed that the embezzled amount also included millions of rupees drawn from different heads, including land levelling, pipes for water supply schemes, ghost roads, street and pavements and bridges, besides fake TA bills and misuse of vehicles.

Also, duplication of schemes, specially roads already built by the district council or the forest department, was undertaken.

The SRSP, a multi-donor funded poverty alleviation organization, claiming to be “harnessing potential of the poorest of poor at no less than Rs60 million per year, working in eight districts, started its intervention in Mansehra district in 1993 through MVSP for seven years.

The MVSP closed down in 2000 and the SRSC was converted into SRSP, at present funded by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programme (PPAP).

A number of enquiries have been conducted into the affairs of the SRSP during the past few years, but despite proofs of embezzlement of the government money, none of the inquiry reports has been published so far.