KHANEWAL, Nov 24: Auditors have found misappropriation of millions besides irregularities allegedly committed by the officials of the Community Development Department in Khanewal, Dawn has learnt.
The Multan Regional Directorate of Audit audited the community department in the last week of July and found the department misappropriated millions by buying substandard buses for physically challenged children and other audio and visual aids.
Report says the department bought five buses for Rs8.120 million for special education institutes in 2007. Auditors found the monograms and model logos of the original manufacturer company were missing from the buses. The buses were locally manufactured and were below the approved seating capacity.
The department bought 100 hearing aids worth Rs1.499 million without any requirement. The then executive district officer (community development), who was the chief purchase officer, did not sign the tender documents.
The audit team found that no minutes of the District Purchase Committee meeting were prepared and only the participants marked their signature on a paper. Of 100 hearing aids, 97 aids were available and three aids valuing Rs44,970 were missing from schools.
The department bought the aids at higher prices as a hearing aid available in the open market at Rs8,000 was bought at Rs14,990.
The report states the Finance Department allocated on Dec 28, 2006, Rs1.455 million for an audio logical clinic at the Special Education School, Khanewal. The community department, however, spent only Rs1.095 million on audio logical equipment. Auditors found irregularities such as unsigned tender documents, an imperfect comparative statement, differences between rates in the comparative statement and tendering firms.
The minutes of the District Purchase Committee were also incomplete. Up to Rs350,000 were also allocated for the construction of a building for audio logical clinic but no building was constructed. The department, the report says, bought a Rs222,900 digital audiometer (SM960-C model) of a Danish company, which was not according to the needs of the learners.
The documents of the special education institute shows the hearing aid test and fitting system were bought for Rs563,900. But auditors only found an old model desk rem-1000, manufactured by the Rastronics (Denmark) with broken knobs and uneven polishing in the store.
According to the tender document, an air-conditioner of General company was to be bought but a Waves air-conditioner was found in the store.
The report says the government suffered a loss of Rs929,195 because of substandard furniture bought by the department for the special education school. Up to 100 chairs were bought for Rs690 each and other 100 chairs of the same size and quality for Rs1,470 each resulting into overpayment of Rs78,000. The department showed 200 chairs in the stock register but 150 chairs were available at the institute.
The report states the department bought 10 computers, a multimedia projector and 100 compact disk (CD) players for a Slow Learner Institute for Rs1.169 million. Auditors say the department incurred a loss of Rs724,490 to the government.
EDO (CD) Chaudhry Maqsood said they were investigating the issues. “Audit reports of various departments have recently been submitted to the governor for initiating action against officials,” an audit officer, seeking anonymity, said. He said the governor would send these reports to the district coordination officer for action.