LARKANA: The Larkana circuit bench of the tSindh High Court has raised serious questions over provincial government’s claims of spending more than Rs30 billion

on the rehabilitation of flood victims and dewatering of inundated areas and directed Auditor General of Pakistan to find out if the amount has been utilized properly and lawfully and fix responsibility on officers if the funds has been misappropriated or embezzled.

“In the backdrop of (claims about spending) such huge amount, we do not see any tangible progress on the rehabilitation of flood victims and dewatering of the affected areas, carried out either by Provincial Disaster Management Authority or irrigation department.

“We cannot ignore the worsening conditions the flood victims have to face. They can neither cultivate crops themselves nor the government have provided them shelter and food,” remarked the division bench comprising Justices Shamsuddin Abbasi and Amjad Ali Sahito while hearing identical petitions filed by concerned citizens and lawyers about the government’s mishandling of post-flood situation, plight of flood victims, failure to dewater flooded areas etc on Thursday.

Orders AGP to probe if funds have been misappropriated, fix responsibility

The bench asked the AGP to conduct in-depth inquiry into the amount released by the chief secretary of Sindh or any other agency to the government departments, deputy commissioners or other officers, including those of the PDMA for undertaking rehabilitation or any other emergency work in rain and flood affected areas.

A representative of Sindh finance secretary submitted that more than Rs30 billion had been released for the rehabilitation of rain victims in the province.

The bench directed the AGP to prepare a report on whether the said amount had been properly used and lawfully documented by the officers concerned.

“If there is misappropriation or embezzlement of any amount (of funds) disbursed to different provincial departments or the officers serving thereunder, the AGP shall fix the responsibility (on them) in his proposed report,” said the order.

The court asked Sindh chief secretary and secretary of finance to provide details and breakup of the amount released to the officers for distributing among flood victims or taking care of them. “Non-compliance of the direction shall expose the officers concerned to contempt proceedings,” warned the bench.

It said the AGP would also examine the mode of payment and complete the probe within six weeks, starting from the day the order was communicated.

The bench ordered that if the AGP found out any misappropriation or embezzlement he would submit the report to this court and also send its copy to the chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), recommending inquiry into the matter under the NAB ordinance.

The court, which did not receive a positive response on its directions from the prime minister office earlier, repeated that the premier should release funds for the repair and reconstruction of roads from Jamshoro to Kashmore (N-55), which were damaged during massive floods.

The chairman of National Highway Authority, member of NHA Sindh and other officers filed a joint report, which the court made part of the record.

The NHA chairman informed the court that a 24-kilometer portion of road from Khanoth to Manjhand was yet to be finished and said the work could not be completed due to litigation and stay order passed by Islamabad High Court. The total length of the road from Jamshoro to Sehwan was 120-kms, he said.

He said the IHC had allowed the NHA to award the contract for the work on the 24-kms strip, which would be completed within a year, starting from the date of commencement of the work.

The court expressed dismay at the NHA chairman’s conduct as instead of filing his undertaking, which he had committed earlier, it was submitted by his officers.

The court directed the NHA chairman to start work on Khanoth-Manjhand section in the first week of January, 2023, and also complete the remaining portion of the road leading from Jamshoro to Sehwan within a month. “Non-compliance therein shall expose the chairman of NHA and the officers concerned to contempt proceedings,” the bench warned.

The counsels for the petitioners contended that billions of rupees had been utilized by the government but people were still facing hardships. The huge amount had been misappropriated by the officers concerned, inflicting heavy losses on national exchequer, they said and requested the court refer the matter to NAB for proper investigation.

The court adjourned the hearing to Dec 21.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022