The Public Accounts Committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has  held the Directorate General (Development and Extension) offices of the Provincial Livestock and Dairy Development Department(LS&DD) as well as Agriculture University, Peshawar, responsible for irregularities in spending Rs.55.458 million for purchase of cattles, feed and medicines thereof, power generators, machinery, equipments and furniture, and ordered recovery of an amount of Rs.33.774 million from the officers who caused this loss to the national exchequer. The committee also directed inquiry into the loss of another amount of Rs.33.892 million which was allegedly spent by the departments in violation of the prescribed rules and procedures.

 The committee has taken these decisions in its meeting held here with its chairman and Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Karamatullah Khan in the chair. The second session of the meeting was chaired by MPA and member of the committee Mr. Saqibullah  Khan Chamkani. The meeting was also attended by MPAs Malik Tehmash Khan, Mukhtar Ali Khan and Fazal Shakoor Khan, Secretary Assembly Amanullah Khan, Secretary Agriculture Department M.Afsar Khan, Director General Audit Sikandar Khan, Additional Secretary Finance Department and other concerned officers.

 The irregularities were identified by the office of the Director General Audit in its different audit reports during financial year 2006-07 to 2010-11.

Reviewing as many as 15 audit objections against LS&DD the committee expressed great concern over ignoring the rules and procedures for utilization of the huge amount of public exchequer and found that negligence on part of certain officials also caused purchase of machinery carrying below specification and damage of certain procured equipments as well. The Speaker referred the two audit objection about purchase and use of such machinery and equipments to sub-committee of  the PAC headed by MPA Saqibullah Chamkani for physical verification whereas the Secretary Agriculture was directed to hold inquiry into another audit objection regarding violation of rules in purchase of machinery, equipments and veterinary medicines at a cost  of Rs. 20.471 million and submit the inquiry report o the PAC within one month. The committee also set aside two audit objections against LS&DD out of total 15 taken into account during the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting the Speaker Assembly Karamatullah Khan observed that LS&DD needs drastic improvement in its management so as to ensure a fool proof financial discipline on one hand and provide better services  to promote cattle farming and fisheries on the other. He was of the view that such efforts could not only help the farmers earn their livelihood a better way but also strengthen economy of the Province. He said that prime purpose of the PAC is to ensure only legitimate exercise of the authority and detect anomalies in public accounts and misappropriation of  the public money. #