ISLAMABAD: Management of the Circle Registrar Cooperative Societies of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has failed to conduct audit of majority of cooperative housing societies.

The audit report 2020-21 revealed that the Circle Registrar Office conducted audit of six societies out of a total of 42 in the federal capital.

The report said the management did not conduct audit of 36 societies till Dec 2020 due to which the annual general meeting (AGM) of the societies was also delayed.

“The management failed to perform its functions and discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the injunctions of Cooperative Societies Act , 1925. It indicated the weak internal controls and monitoring system,” read the audit para.

The audit report said the management neither replied nor held a meeting of the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC).

“Audit recommends that responsibility be fixed against the persons concerned for the said lapse besides conducting the audit of the societies,” read the audit report.

It said Section-22 of Cooperative Societies Act 1925 provides “the Registrar shall be himself or by some person authorized by him in writing by general or special order on his behalf audit the accounts of every society once at least in every year.”

The audit report added that it was the responsibility of the management of the Circle Registrar to conduct audit of 42 cooperative housing societies.

It is relevant to note here in Islamabad, there are over 100 (legal and illegal) housing societies and schemes in Islamabad. Cooperative is being dealt by the Registrar Office while housing schemes are being supervised by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

However, majority of these schemes/societies have made serious violations of their layout plan and many of them have sold out the areas reserved for graveyards, playgrounds and green areas and for other amenities.

Medical Cooperative Hosing Society, which is accused of narrowing down the width of natural stream in E-11/2 that caused urban flooding and death of a mother and her child, is among such cooperative housing societies that had made several serious violations of their layout plan.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2021