Audit of OLMT Project Lahore begins

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has started audit of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) Project Lahore, one of the mega projects of previous Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government in Punjab.
According to a spokesman for the AGP, the department has already completed following important audit assignments including audit of Public Sector Companies, Punjab, audit of Metro-Bus projects in Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore, audit of Orange Line Metro Train Project (civil works), and audit of Pakistan Super League (PSL), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The spokesman said that AGP attaches highest importance to audit of mega projects because of the risk based audit approach it follows, and considers it's the highest duty to provide objective, unbiased and nonpartisan reports based on facts to the Parliament for parliamentary oversight by the representatives of the people of Pakistan.
In addition, the following audit assignments are in progress and will be completed soon in due course of time including audit of circular debt of power sector, Central Power Purchase Authority (CPPA), audit of Orange Line (Electrical Component), special audit on losses of PIA, forensic audit of four projects of EOBI, audit of Billion Tree Tsunami Project of previous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, audit of oil pricing mechanism of PSO, audit of e-ticketing of Pakistan Railways (IT), Punjab Revenue Authority, special audit of BISP, performance audit of Hajj Directorate, and performance audit of PM global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Orange Line Metro Train Project having approved PC-I cost of Rs 162.628 billion has been given due preference and importance in the audit plans of the Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan, the spokesman said.
The audit of the civil works of Orange Line Metro Train Project, valued at $531.681 million as per PC-I, has been completed and presently the audit report is under approval process and will be issued soon to governor of the Punjab province for causing it to lay before the provincial assembly of Punjab.
Since the Orange Line Metro Train Project has gone through time overrun of more than a year so far, the physical progress on electrical and mechanical portion of the project has not been as per schedule.
According to the information available with Department of Auditor General of Pakistan, still about 20-30 percent work on electrical and mechanical portion of the project is incomplete and financial progress of the electrical and mechanical portion is about 45-55 percent.
However, Auditor General of Pakistan has included audit of the electrical and mechanical portion, valued at $922.5 million as per PC-I of the project, in the current audit plan as well.
Similarly, the special audit report on accounts of 425-525MW combined power cycle power plant project Nandipur has also been completed and the report will be soon presented before the Parliament.