The Sindh Audit Department has uncovered over Rs. 12 billion in irregularities in the Food Department, linked to suspected corruption in wheat procurement, sale, and storage.
According to the report, wheat worth billions of rupees was stolen, defrauded, and misappropriated across the food departments in 12 districts of Sindh.
Additionally, the audit department identified a wheat deficit of two billion rupees in the stock across the 12 districts. The report highlighted that a food inspector in Khairpur district was accused of Rs. 3 million corruption.
Furthermore, the storage of wheat outdoors caused damages worth Rs. 7.5 billion. The report pointed out that wheat stock worth Rs. 7,762.258 million was not fumigated and it was lying in the PRC/ WPCs, godown, and open space area in centers, making it difficult to prevent it from getting damaged.
Moreover, the concerned officials failed to remove wheat stock which caused damage of Rs. 1 billion rupees. Shockingly, Rs. 1 billion worth of wheat loss was allegedly caused by a food inspector in Matiari.
The Sindh Food Department also incurred a loss of Rs. 50 million due to the purchase and transportation of the bandana.
The audit report uncovered wheat theft of Rs. 2 billion in Ghotki and Larkana.