KARACHI: The Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly on Thursday gave all the deputy commissioners (DCs) of the province 10 days to submit details of all the district ADP (Annual Development Programme) schemes and the amount spent on them from the budget of Rs120 billion.

The direction was issued when at the PAC meeting, the DCs could not provide the required details.

The committee issued instructions to the chief secretary Sindh to notify the principal accounting officer for the district ADP schemes.

The PAC meeting, held under the chairmanship of its Chairman Nisar Khuhro, was attended by Committee Members Makhdoom Fakharuz Zaman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan member Taha Ahmed and other officers.

Works and Services Secretary Muhammad Ali Khoso told the PAC that the district ADP schemes were prepared by the deputy commissioners who were the heads of the district development committees (DDCs).

Direction issued after deputy commissioners fail to furnish relevant records

He said the district ADP schemes were approved by the DDCs headed by DCs and the committee also included executive and superintendent engineers and representative of the local government department.

The secretary said the finance department released the money for the ADP schemes of each district to the deputy commissioners.

The deputy secretary of the finance department told the PAC that a budget of Rs120 billion had been allocated for the district ADP schemes for all the districts of the province this year. When asked by Committee Member Taha Ahmed, the works secretary said the money for the district ADP was allocated on the basis of the NFC Award and the existing formula based on the population of the district.

PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro said that billions of rupees were spent on the district ADP schemes so the PAC needed their audit account. “If the district ADP schemes are prepared by the deputy commissioners, then the accounts should also be prepared by the DCs,” he remarked.

The PAC has sought details of all the district ADP schemes and expenditure from the budget allocated from the deputy commissioners of all the districts of the province within 10 days.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025