PESHAWAR, July 14: The Auditor-General of Pakistan has detected irregular and unauthorised payments of millions of rupees made against various uplift projects by the City Development and Municipal Department (CD&MD) during the financial year 2003-04.

An audit report of the accounts of City District Government Peshawar for the period 2003-04, which has recently been forwarded to the NWFP governor, contains several cases of irregular, unauthorised overpayments by the CD&MD. The paragraph number one of the report shows irregular expenditure of Rs113 million.

The CD&MD awarded a construction contract for a road in Regi Model Town at an estimated cost of Rs113 million in 2001-02, without following certain formalities.

The Bills of Quantities were based on composite schedule of rates 1999 and 12 per cent premium was allowed thereon, which led to an excess payment of Rs11.007 million, the report said.

The matter was pointed out to the director-general CD&MD in December 2004, to which no reply was furnished.

At a departmental accounts committee (DAC) meeting held in May 2005, the director-general explained that the payment had been made in accordance with a memorandum of understanding.The department’s reply, however, was not tenable because the work had been awarded without competition and premium was not admissible, the report maintained.

In another case, the audit report said, the director of the Regi Model Town spent Rs77.969 million on 14 different development schemes during 2003-04, without obtaining technical sanction from the competent authority.

The matter was pointed out to the director-general in December 2004, who replied that the sanction had been obtained from the competent authority. However, he failed to produce documentary evidence in support of his statement.

The director-general at a DAC meeting held in July 2005 said that the sanction was still in process, adding that details thereof would be provided for audit.

“The DAC, however, did not agree with the plea and directed him to produce record to audit, but no progress was made till finalisation of this report,” remarked the report.

The DG, in another case, paid Rs72.275 million at the rate of Rs0.5 million per marla during 2003-04 to land owners on account of acquisition of land for improvement and widening of the Jamrud Khyber Road through Land Acquisition Collector, ignoring the directive of the chief minister and chief secretary in this regard.

The audit report claimed that the PC-I of the scheme had not been prepared and administrative approval had not been obtained.