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Punjab Local Government Minister, Dost Muhammad Khosa, has said that the second phase of audit of Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) has been completed, which revealed Rs 52 billion of misappropriation. He said this while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.
Flanked by Punjab Media Advisor, Pervez Rasheed he said that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shabaz Sharif had ordered for a re-audit of audited TMAs by a third party to maintain transparency. "A Local Government Commission has been activated to hold trails and hand out punishments to those responsible for embezzlement and misappropriation the people's money," he added.
According to him, audit of TMAs was part of anti-corruption campaign in the province, and all the four provinces wants to scrap the existing local government system and the Punjab wants to replace with the 1979 local government system.
Audit of TMAs would take place in four phases; in the first phase out of 144 TMAs 143 TMAs were audited and in the second phase 142 TMAs were audited. Third and fourth phase of the audit is in progress. It is interesting to note that audit of three TMAs would not be initiated since its records were missing.
The minister claimed that the evidence they have gathered against the corrupt officials were enough to get them convicted in the court of law. He said it seems the existing local government system was introduced for supporting the dictatorial government rather than for serving the people.
When asked what would be the consequences if the PPP refuses to scrap the existing local government system, he said every political party has the right to differ. To another question, he said that the existing local government system was full of flaw that has surfaced in the last seven years, which does not justify its continuation, and all the provinces are of the same view on the matter.
According to an audit report of TMAs, in the first phase of auditing the level of financial misappropriation in the Lahore Division was Rs 4.17 billion, Faisalabad 1.41 billion, Gujranwala Rs 3.04 billion, Rawalpindi, Rs 10.54 billion, Multan 2.85 billion, Sargodha Rs 2.38 billion, DG Khan 1.27 billion and Bahawalpur 2.43 billion. Also, the five most corrupt TMAs were Jehlum, Rawal Town, Shah Rokan Alam Town, Sheikhupura and Sargodha Town.
In the second phase of audit, corruption in the following the divisions surfaced: Lahore Rs 2.57 billion, Faisalabad 2.78 billion, Gujranwala Rs 2.88, Rawalpindi, Rs 12.27 billion, Multan 1.26 billion, Sargodha Rs 1.5 billion, DG Khan Rs 324.4 million and Bahawalpur 1.49 billion. Also, the five most corrupt TMAs were Muree, Lyalpur, Sailkot, Gujrat and Rahim Yar Khan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

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