ISLAMABAD, July 1: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has suffered a loss of Rs12.309 million due to irregularities in its road directorates, the audit report 2000 showed.

The report said discrepancies had been detected in 16 different cases in the road directorates I, II, III, IV and V, which included overpayments, infructous expenditure, irregular payment, non-recovery of income tax, less recovery of income tax and non-recovery of cost material.

The report said a deputy director of roads-III, paid a contractor for 328,832 cubic feet loose quantity of stone filling, but deduction of voids was not made which resulted in the overpayment of Rs0.391 million to the contractor. Similarly, the CDA replied that deduction of voids was not justified because filling of stone was carried out in the stone masonry-like manner. However, the audit department was of the view that the reply was not tenable.

In a separate case, a deputy director Roads-IV had increased the work of a project which resulted in overpayment of Rs0.557 million. In another case, the CDA suffered a loss of Rs0.343 million because a deputy director Roads-I made payments for earth work excavation and construction of an embankment at the rate of Rs147.23 per cft. But, no embankment was built by the contractor and the rate was not reduced accordingly.

The CDA replied that the construction of the embankment was not necessary and the amount recovered from the contractor was not recorded.

In another case, the deputy director Roads-IV made extra payment of Rs0.299 million to the contractor for construction of an embankment and earth work excavation. However, the CDA replied that the payment was made according to the contract.

The report said the deputy director Roads-V, in another case, made extra payment amounting to Rs0.265 million to the contractor for excavation or digging of earth for construction of an embankment, but in fact no embankment was constructed.

Similarly, extra payment of Rs0.247 million was made by the deputy director Roads-III for excavation, cutting of road and road alignment, but the construction of embankment was not executed. However, the authority replied that the rate of payment could not be charged after award of the contract.

In a separate case, the deputy director Roads-III made an over-payment of Rs0.097 million to a contractor by accepting incorrect rates and because of non-recovery of dues while making payments against running bills.