LAHORE: A government audit has revealed embezzlement and financial irregularities worth over Rs. 4 billion during the tenure of the Punjab caretaker government for the fiscal year 2023–2024.
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According to a report by the Punjab Auditor General, the Food Department accounted for Rs. 1.65 billion in fraud, media reports said on Monday. In DG Khan, irregularities worth Rs. 840 million were found across several divisions of the Food Department. In Lahore, fraud of Rs. 785 million was uncovered in the same department.
The audit further revealed that Rs. 300 million in wheat allocated to flour mills was misappropriated. Four mills were involved in the alleged embezzlement of Rs. 200 million under the Ramadan Package and Sasta Atta Scheme. These mills reportedly caused an overall loss of Rs. 400 million to the government.
The report also noted the disappearance of 7.4 million tons of imported wheat valued at Rs. 910 million from Punjab Food Department inventories.
In the education sector, a fraud of Rs. 780 million was reported at Abdul Salam Khan School in Lahore through fake documentation to hire foreign faculty. An additional Rs. 450 million was embezzled through fabricated land acquisition claims linked to the Khanewal-Lodhran Road project.
Out of Rs. 2,981 billion in total accounts, Rs. 619 billion were audited. The report recommends the recovery of Rs. 25.5 billion across 50 cases.
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Further findings include missing weapons worth Rs. 250 million from the Punjab Home Department, and thefts totaling Rs. 7 million from Nawaz Sharif University and UET Lahore. The audit also identified 21 financial irregularity cases involving Rs. 10.5 billion.
Wrong procurement practices in 45 cases led to Rs. 43.5 billion in losses, while additional irregularities of Rs. 8 billion were reported. A response from the ministers of the caretaker government is still pending.
