ISLAMABAD, April 26: The Auditor General has directed the Education Division to recover Rs69.55 million from scholarship holders who did not join their duties after completion of studies or failed to complete studies.

In order to develop human resources and improve the quality of manpower, Education Division launched different scholarship schemes for higher studies abroad. The beneficiaries under these schemes furnished bonds to serve in parent department for a period of at least five years, failing which, they would reimburse all the expenditure incurred on their studies.

However it was observed during the audit of the Education Division that out of a large number of scholarship holders 27 did not return Pakistan after completing their studies. Their education incurred approximately Rs76.16 million, which was recoverable from them.

Besides the amounts of scholarship, air travel and other charges were also recoverable from them but the amount could not be calculated due to non-availability of record.

Audit report observed that the division had not recovered the expenditure incurred on the training of these officials in contravention of the provisions of the bond furnished by them.

The report said that many of the scholarship holders did not return to Pakistan, which not only caused huge losses to the national exchequer but also the desired results were not achieved.

The situation required that monitoring system should be streamlined in a way to plug all loopholes, enabling the Division to achieve the desired objectives.

However, the report said that out of the total recoverable amounts of Rs76,159,845 an amount of Rs6,609,699 had been recovered. Remaining amount of Rs69,550,146 — 91.4 per cent of the total amount — were to be recovered from the trainees. The report directed the Education Division to (Training Wing) to recover balance amount by pursuing the matter vigorously.

Meanwhile, the AG report also pinned down the Federal Directorate of Education for financial irregularities.

While the FDE was supposed to surrender to government anticipated savings, the department transferred an amount of Rs37.824 million to Pak PWD out of capital cost with the request to keep these funds reserved for the procurement of furniture and laboratories equipment. Another amount of Rs4.118 million out of this project was also transferred to Pak PWD with the request to keep these funds reserved for the procurement of furniture and lab equipment.

However, the report pointed out that transfer of the lapsable funds to another departments non-lapsable account was against the rules.

The report directed FDE to get the amount back from PWD and credit the money into government treasury.