KARACHI: Expressing concern over ghost employees in the local government (LG) department, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly on Friday ordered verification of all those working in local councils (UCs) across the province.

PAC Chairman Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who chaired the committee meeting, said that salaries were being withdrawn by the ghost employees in the local councils.

Warning that the practice would not be tolerated, he ordered that credentials of all employees of the local councils should be re-verified.

The PAC also directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to investigate the spending of Rs477 million in addition to the approved budget by various town and municipal committees of Hyderabad division and submit a report within three months.

The meeting was attended by PAC members Khurram Karim Soomro and Makhdoom Fakharuz Zaman, LG department additional secretary, and town and chief municipal officers of various town and municipal committees of Hyderabad division.

The meeting reviewed the audit reports of the town and municipal committees of Hyderabad division, from 2018 to 2021.

During the examination of the audit paragraphs, it was revealed that various town committees of Hyderabad division had spent Rs252m through more than 200 quotations for various works.

The PAC chairman expressed displeasure when the officers concerned failed to provide audit records of the expenditure of Rs252m and directed the LG secretary to investigate the matter.

It was also revealed in the meeting that the municipal committees of Jamshoro, Pyaro Lund and Matli, and Sunn Town Committee had spent Rs477m in addition to the approved budget in 2018-2019.

The PAC ordered the LG department to send the matter to the ACE for an investigation.

The examination of the audit paras further revealed that the town chairman appointed in Pyaro Lund Town Committee from 2018 to 2020 had taken the official record of Rs7.9m spending with him.

Mr Khuhro ordered for the registration of an FIR against the then Pyaro Lund Town Committee chairman for illegally taking the official records with him.

The meeting was also told that various town and municipal committees of Hyderabad had spent Rs275m on petrol and vehicle repairs in just one year.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025