APP
PESHAWAR
A meeting of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Accounts Committee chaired by Idrees Khan Khattak here Wednesday directed monthly deduction from a patwari who failed to deposit aabiana (water rate) collected from farmers in public exchequer.
The decision was taken after conducting inquiry against the patwari, Abdul Hakeem who was being accused of not depositing Rs 2 million collected from farmers in the year 2014-15. The committee also directed to complete the recovery in two-year period.
Participants of the meeting also discussed 12 audit paras of KP Irrigation Department among which ten were disposed after receiving satisfactory answers from concerned department. Meetings also send a audit para to subcommittee that was relating to additional payment of Rs. 80.9 million being made to contractors of rehabilitation work on River Bara and Budhni.
The meeting was informed that department is digitizing the aabiana collection system that would enable farmers to deposit money directly in government account through easypaisa. It was told that new system would eliminate chances of embezzlement besides ensuring transparency. Meeting was informed that KP receives an amount of Rs 350 million annually under the head of aabiana.
PAC also reprimanded audit department and directed officials to present complete record to ensure efficiency and productivity in working of committee.
The meeting among others was attended by MPAs including Ahmad Karim Kundi, Ikram Gandapor, Fazal Shakoor, Inayat Ullah, Arbab Wasim and officials of law, audit and finance department.
