May 05, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1429

DADU, April 4: An inquiry has been initiated into the spending of Rs150 million by the district government without budget allocations.

Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazharul Haq has confirmed that the inquiry has been initiated the held the district and the Sindh caretaker governments responsible for the illegality.

Sources at the local government department said that District Nazim Karim Ali Jatoi had given Rs1.1 million bearer cheques to each of the 45 members of the district council. PPP-backed Awam Dost Panel member of the council, Saeed Ahmed Jamali, said that the nazim had made illegal payments to his supporters to foil a bid of no-confidence against him.

Anti-Corruption Establishment circle officer Zakir Hussain Samoon has been transferred and Mehtab Butt posted in his place with the task of conducting the inquiry. Likewise, DCO Aijaz Ahmed Mangi has been transferred and replaced by Mukhtiar Ahmed Soomro. Mr Sammon and Mr Mangi are considered to be supporters of the district nazim.

The inquiry was ordered by initiated under the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah against the nazim and EDO finance Noor Mohammad Leghari who released the amount from development and non- development funds.

As a result, the bank account maintained by the district government for salary and non-salary components has zero balance since April. As many as 10,000 government employees have not received salary for the current month and hundreds of contractors have not received payments.

After receiving such complaints and related documents, the chief minister ordered the Sindh finance department to cut Rs80 million out of Rs190 million monthly allocation of the district government.

Earlier, each union council nazim of 52 UCs received Rs200,000 monthly grant but now they would get Rs1,35,000 each.

DCO Soomro, who has taken the charge of his office 20 days ago, has launched the inquiry and issued show-cause notice to the EDO finance.

Sources said that the EDO finance who was posted during the PML-Q led government in Dadu, at a recent meeting with the senior minister in Karachi, produced documents about the alleged the involvement of the district nazim in the matter.

When contacted, Pir Mazhar confirmed that he had received information regarding misuse of funds by the district government before and after Feb 18 elections.

He said that no new development scheme was launched in Dadu city and same people embezzled millions of rupees which would be recovered from them.

He said that issue of salary of district government employees had been resolved.

PPP MNA Rafiq Ahmed Jamali said that the district nazim had misused funds for development and non-development expenditure during the elections.

When contacted, Mr Jatoi refuted the corruption charges and said that he had used the money on development projects. He claimed that he enjoyed majority in the district council.