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HYDERABAD, Sept 21: The District Accounts Office of Hyderabad has blocked the release of Rs140 million in funds by raising an objection to the re-appropriation of the amount by the district government from different non-salary heads to the development head.
Reliable finance department sources of the district government, Hyderabad, told this correspondent on Sunday that the District Accounts Office wanted to get an approval from the secretary, Sindh finance department, before releasing the amount to the district government.
The sources claimed that it was in spite of the fact that the District Accounts Office was informed in writing about the relevant rules/directives of the Sindh finance department that the amount lying in non-lapsing account-4 of district government could be re-appropriated if needed.
The sources said that the District Accounts Office wanted to seek the approval first in order to avoid any complication by the superior authorities, and added that in fact this amount was saved by the finance department after clearing different payments, purchase of equipment, vehicles, etc.
They added that the district government was permitted that the amount if saved in different heads could be utilized as pre-budget arrangements, yet the district accounts office had raised objections. The amount pertained to different heads of non-salary component and was lying in account-4, which was non-lapsing. This would be transferred to the executive district officer, Services and Works, for payment to the respective contractors.
The district Nazim, Hyderabad, Dr Makhdoom Rafikuzzaman, had obtained approval from the district council, Hyderabad, for re-appropriation so that it could be utilized for the development schemes that were in fact to be carried out from funds of Rs151 million of the Annual Development Programme.
Due to mishandling of the affair by the district government, the Annual Development Programme funds had lapsed as they were released quite late in the last week of June this year, and that too due to the protest strikes by members of the district council.
The district government wanted to transfer Rs140 million development for executing the pending schemes of the Annual Development Programme and if the ADP funds were revalidated by the provincial finance ministry then it would again be transferred to non-salary component from where the amount was now being borrowed.
The district Nazim has gone to Lahore and he would take up the matter with the district accounts office to avoid further delay in the execution of development works.
It may be pointed out here that according to the district government’s own record, an amount of Rs665.30 million had lapsed in different heads for the year 2002-03.
PRE-ARREST BAIL: The seventh additional district judge, Hyderabad, on Saturday confirmed pre-arrest bail of Aurangzeb Kangu, assistant jailor of the central prison, Hyderabad, in the custodial killing case of an under-trial prisoner, Mehmood Khoso.
He was represented by Advocate Qurban Ali Chohan and was earlier granted pre-arrest interim bail in the said case one year back by the same court in a sum of Rs100,000.
He was first granted protective bail by the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, with directives to approach the trial court for pre-arrest bail.
The case pertained to the death of Mehmood Khoso, who died under mysterious circumstances in the central jail, Hyderabad, on March 15, 2002.
The prison administration had claimed that he died during a scuffle with a convict, Khanu Machi.
The murder case was lodged under the directives of Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, issued on April 18, 2002, against the then superintendent Mohammad Altaf Malik Awan, then deputy superintendent Aijaz Hyder, jailor Aurangzeb, jail constable Jumo and others on the complaint of Ghulam Rasool, cousin of the dead under-trial prisoner vide crime No33/2002 under sections 302 QD and 109 PPC.
Malik Altaf Awan was earlier granted pre-arrest bail in a sum of Rs200,000 by the same court.
The then district and sessions judge, Hyderabad, Prakash Lal M. Ambwani, had conducted judicial inquiry into the custodial death and had sent his findings to the Sindh High Court.
Mr Chohan argued before the trial court that the case needed further inquiry as there were two separate versions, one of the complainant and the other of the jail administration.
He said that Mehmood Khoso did receive aberrations but there were no marks of any blunt weapon or substance.
