The Auditor General of Pakistan has not conducted an audit of Engineering Development Board (EDB) for the last six years despite massive alleged financial irregularities. Well-informed sources told Business Recorder that the Auditor General last conducted the audit of EDB, a subsidiary of Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P), in the early months of 2010.
Ministry of Industries and Production held an inquiry into the affairs of EDB especially the degrees of the CEO on the directives of Minister for Industries and Production, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi. EDB is reportedly at present being controlled by a junior officer, wearing several caps with senior officers sidelined some of whom have opted to go on leave.
"We have sent degrees of CEO to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for verification. If any degree is found to be fake or from an institution not recognized by HEC, a formal inquiry will be initiated," said an official of Ministry of Industries and Production. CEO had handed over his original degrees to the Ministry for verification a week ago, which in turn on sent it to the HEC after seeking a formal permission from the Secretary Industries, Khyzer Hayat Gondal.
The CEO also contends that he uses the Lahore official car for official purposes only; and in the event that he uses the car for private purposes he pays fuel charges etc as per rules, to the EDB. When this issue was brought to the notice of Minister for Industries and Production, he acknowledged that use of official car is totally illegal if the CEO is getting monetization.
Sources maintain that official car is being routinely used by CEO for all purposes. As for EDB claim that CEO pays fuel charges is just an eye wash. There is no provision in staff car rules for payment of fuel charge for private use of car. A provision however exists that in exceptional circumstances an employee can use official car for private purposes @ Rs 3 per kilometer, but this cannot be a routine practice.
The coordinator claimed that CEO EDB is working on various assignments with various public and private sector organizations including Punjab Transport Deptt. for Motor Vehicle Ordinance and Testing Facilities, Excise Deptt, SMEDA, Honda, PAAPAM, Habib Rafiq, CM Office for Scooty Project, etc. According to the coordinator, SMC allowance of Rs 1500 and MPhil allowance of Rs 2500 has been announced in Budget 2016-17. EDB only has one regular employee with both qualifications. Allowance has been given after approval as per rules whereas its concurrence from BoM shall be taken in the next board's meeting.
Sources told Business Recorder that EDB cannot grant such allowances on its own or only on the basis of budget announcement. The case has to be submitted to the Standing Committee of Finance Division headed by Additional Secretary (Regulations) which has not been done in this case. If the case is yet to be taken in a Board meeting, then how can office order for grant of said allowances be issued? This correspondent sent a message to the CEO with a list of questions but he did not respond till the filing of the story.
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