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ISLAMABAD, March 1: A loss of Rs2.16 million was caused to the national exchequer due to non-allotment of rooms in the working women's hostel, G-7/1, from 1998 to 2002 despite serious residential problems in the capital.
Audit report for the year 2003-04 on accounts of the Establishment Division, which will soon be presented before the Public Accounts Committee, showed that public exchequer was deprived of Rs2,163,060 during the period.
The hostel, comprising 48 rooms, is being run by the Staff Welfare Organization (SWO) since 1992 for women employees of the federal government. The report noted that proper record of applications and allotment of rooms was not maintained while data on occupancy was compiled from rent collection receipts.
A large number of rooms either remained vacant or were allotted for a limited period of time and average occupancy rate throughout the period remained 43 per cent. The availability of rooms was never notified to the ministries, divisions and departments of the federal government.
The report also said that at present more than 55 per cent of the hostel occupants were from NGOs and corporations who are otherwise not eligible for allotment.
In reply to the audit report, the management of the hostel said that when the hostel was established, circulars were issued to the federal ministers, divisions while the news was also published in the press.
Only those candidates were allotted rooms who applied for accommodation and priority was given to government employees. Moreover, it was observed that due to an increase in the rental ceiling, governmental officers were preferring hiring houses instead of living on a single/double occupancy basis in the hostel.
However, the report said the reply was not cogent as no such circular had been produced to the audit department and no record was maintained to facilitate verification of actual occupancy. Furthermore, the occupancy rate of the hostel remained only up to 43 per cent during the period of audit.
HOLIDAY HOME: The report also detected a loss of Rs136,350 due to the same sort of mismanagement in the Holiday Home, situated in Murree. The rest house is also run by the SWO to provide subsidised accommodation to government servants during their visit to Murree.
A review of allotment record for the same period revealed that the monthly room occupancy rate varied from 60 to 80 per cent. The management didn't maintain proper record of the allotment. It was also observed that 2 to 5 rooms were kept permanently reserved throughout the period.
In the departmental reply it was stated that since all rooms were not in proper conditions due to seepage, renovation and maintenance problems, 100 per cent occupancy could not be maintained. However, the audit report said the reply was not convincing as no documentary evidence was produced to prove that rooms were not worth living.
