HYDERABAD, Dec 31 The controller general of accounts of Pakistan, S.M. Arif, has praised the Hyderabad district accounts office for achieving the target of preparing 2007-08 finance accounts by Dec 31, and said Hyderabad has thus become a model district for this pilot project.

He said at a meeting of district accounts officers of the defunct Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions at the district accounts office on Wednesday that the Hyderabad office had been nominated for preparing the district's finance accounts along with a number of districts of other provinces but Hyderabad emerged leader in this task due to hard-work.

He said that it was the first time in the history of Pakistan that all finance accounts had been completed within same calendar year. It was very rare in other countries, he said.

He said that the same task had been given to accounts officers of other districts with directions to follow the Hyderabad office and ensure completion of task within given period.

He stressed the need for providing efficient services to government employees and directed the management concerned to provide immediate relief, especially to the retired government employees, by releasing GP funds and pension on priority basis.

He directed that unnecessary objections and delay in finalisation of GP funds and pension cases be avoided failing which strict action would be taken against responsible officers.