August 05, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 2, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 4: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday auditors had found financial bungling of Rs13 billion in 74 tehsil municipal administrations, which showed the scale of “loot and plunder” by the previous government.

Mr Sharif said this at a meeting of the provincial cabinet, which discussed various matters, including incomplete development projects, food stamp scheme and audit of local bodies.

He ordered the formation of a cabinet sub-committee to identify departments and individuals guilty of causing loss to the kitty through delaying development projects. The body will submit its report after checking all incomplete projects.

He said delay in the execution of development projects would not be tolerated in future and stern action would be taken against the people responsible. He said the “poor” policies of the former rulers had forced his government to issue additional funds due to delay in the implementation of development schemes in the last eight years which was a criminal negligence.

There was hardly any project where financial irregularities were not committed and it was completed within stipulated period, he said. The chief minister said the Food Support Scheme was a historic initiative of the Punjab government and a strategy had been adopted to ensure that only deserving people benefited from the scheme.

He said wheat and flour supply had been improved in the province and the Punjab government was supplying 6,000 tons of wheat to the NWFP and 2,000 tons to Balochistan for harmony and brotherhood.

He directed the chief secretary to form a committee to scrutinise the projects of local body institutions in districts so that malpractices in these projects could be exposed. He said public funds would be spent only on people welfare and those who had misappropriated the funds would have to return the looted amount.

The chief minister said corruption would be rooted out from society for rapid development. He said the Local Government minister would give further details to the media in a few days regarding irregularities in the financial affairs of local bodies.