AGP Finds Multibillion-Rupee Irregularities in KP Development Projects

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s financial affairs have been found to have multibillion-rupee irregularities, with a large portion of them being connected to the agricultural, energy, health, and transportation sectors.

According to sources, only the expenditures without allocation or budget stood at Rs. 17.86 billion.

At the same time, there was an “irregular reflection” of Rs. 21.5 billion, according to the audit report of the KP government accounts for the years 2021–2022.

Furthermore, the audit report called the granting of Rs. 2.8 billion contracts for purchasing equipment for the 84 megawatts Gorkin Matiltan Hydro Electricity Project “doubtful,” highlighting Rs. 7.7 billion in anomalies in the energy and power department.

Additionally, a total of Rs. 18.45 billion in errors in the finances of the agricultural department were found, with the Gomal Zam Dam project accounting for most of them.

Besides, the KP health department accounts revealed a total of Rs. 3 billion in unauthorized spending, which included the awarding of a contract for lab services to test Covid-19 for Rs. 449 million with undue favors.

Similarly, the auditors found Rs. 3.44 billion worth of errors in the KP transportation division, including the payment of Rs. 2.9 billion for the BRT project.

The audit study discovered Rs. 410 million in anomalies in the financial records of the KP Environment, Forestry, and Wildlife Department, including Rs. 40 million in errors related to encroachment and illicit logging.

Rs. 964m in inconsistencies were found during the audit of the excise, revenue, and narcotics control department finances.

The KP education department also had financial irregularities of Rs. 902 million, and auditors there discovered that Rs567.2 million had been spent on ‘the procurement of furniture, stationery, and school bags.’

The audit report noted that Wapda’s property tax (PESCO) was not recovered by the excise department for Rs. 675 million, while 33 million rupees worth of erroneous expenditures in the revenue and estate department were found.

In the communications and works department, auditors found overpaid and unjustified payments, questionable and opaque contract awards, and other anomalies totaling Rs. 1 billion.