RAWALPINDI, March 10: Poor performance by the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) caused a loss of Rs19.5 million to the public exchequer during the fiscal year 2010-11.

According to a report prepared by the director general audit department of Punjab, the health department of the CDGR failed to recover food licence fees amounting to Rs4.735 million from hoteliers and restaurant owners in the district.

According to section 28 (4) of the Punjab Pure Food Act 2007, an application for the grant of renewal of a licence shall be accompanied by a fee of Rs1,000 for all premises in category A, Rs10,000 in category B and Rs50,000 in the category C.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 145 licence holders in the category A and 459 in category B which had to pay Rs145,000 and Rs4590,000 in the fiscal year 2010-11.

The auditors were of the view that due to weak management the amount could not be recovered. In a departmental accounts committee meeting on December 17, 2011, the then district officer health said he had sent notices to all the licence holders but received no response.

The meeting directed him to move the court of law against the defaulters. However, no compliance was reported till the finalisation of the audit report. The audit department recommended that responsibility be fixed on the officials concerned.Unjustified withdrawal of salaries by 12 postgraduate doctors working in the Basic Health Units (BHUs) without performing duties also caused a loss of Rs1 million to the public exchequer. These doctors were working in the teaching hospitals but drew salaries from the BHUs located at Potha Sharif, Dakali, Rapur Kalan and Hamkot Haider. The auditors also detected a doubtful expenditure on the purchase of chassis at a cost of Rs3.6 million for firefighting engines. However, these chassis could not be used for fire engines.

The CDGR failed to recover rent worth Rs300,000 of the approach roads used by CNG stations and petrol pumps.

According to the secretary communication and works, each petrol and CNG filling station owner had to pay Rs5,000 per annum for using an approach road.

The district officer roads failed to recover the rent amounting to Rs300,000 from 60 petrol and CNG filling stations in different areas of the district.

The director general audit reported that the district officer buildings and roads had also failed to impose penalty on the contractors for non-completion of work within the stipulated time.

Under the law, if a contractor fails to complete the work within the stipulated time, he is liable to pay compensation at the rate of one per cent.

The district officer buildings and roads during 2010-11 awarded 13 works in Murree, Aliot, Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi, Taxila, Satellite Town and Phagwari but the projects could not be completed on time.

“Neither any case for extension in time limit was processed nor penalty imposed on the contractors for delay. Penalty at the rate of one per cent - amounting to Rs9.554 million - was required to be imposed on these contractors,” said the audit report.