KARACHI: A recent special audit of Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has uncovered serious deficiencies in PTI’s ambitious Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, revealing mismanagement of over Rs 5.2 billion in public funds.
During special audit of the project for the period 2019-2022, the AGP has exposed significant planning failures and implementation delays that have hampered wildlife conservation efforts in the Punjab region.
The audit report explained in details how major planned developments, including the Ara Basharat National Parks and Model Wildlife Park, remain unimplemented.
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The construction of pheasant pre-release pens stalled, the Namal Lake restoration project also showed no progress, and the black buck reintroduction in Cholistan failed to materialise.
Financial mismanagement was evident, with only Rs. 375.561 million spent out of the allocated Rs. 5.623 billion. Unauthorised procurement of equipment, such as IR professional cameras and transformers, diverted funds meant for critical wildlife conservation to unplanned purchases.
Similarly, the procedural violations were also highlighted in the report. The Geographic Information System (GIS) Node was arbitrarily relocated from Gujranwala to Sargodha, and the project was executed without proper planning and due diligence. “There were multiple deviations from approved PC-I provisions without the required ECNEC approval,” audit report said.
The Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC), in its meeting on June 22, 2023, rejected the department’s explanations and ordered an investigation into these irregularities, calling for fixing responsibility for unauthorized deviations from the approved plan.
The special audit report revealed a concerning pattern of mismanagement in PTI’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme in Punjab.
The project’s failure to achieve its objectives not only represents a significant waste of public resources but also poses a setback to wildlife conservation efforts in the Punjab region,“ it said.
The audit report also recommended for an immediate inquiry into project mismanagement, fixing responsibility for non-adherence to approved plans, urgent revision of project documentation through ECNEC, and implementation of stronger monitoring mechanisms.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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