ISLAMABAD: Baluchistan’s top bureaucracy has used an organized financial crime to make millions of rupee under ‘award money’ cover for ‘preparing’ budget for the funds- starved province, sources said.
Baluchistan chief secretary Capt (R) Fazeel Asghar, who seems a central character of the crime, himself got major share of Rs 3.38 million of the booty for his ‘hard work’ in preparing the provincial budget for 2020-21.
To justify the plundering of the state resources, Fazeel Asghar managed to get approved millions of rupee as award money for other senior bureaucrats of his office. An official order dated July 14, 2020 said “ Sanction is hereby accorded under rules for grant of cash award for regular employees of chief secretary office for budget preparation”. The names of senior bureaucrats who also got considerable share of the booty included Majeeb Ur Rehman additional secretary (Rs 1.04 m) Abdul Wahid SCO (Rs 1.19 m). Other 68 employees ranging from APS to drivers also got sizeable amount as award money for work they never did.
Sources said the chief secretary office has nothing to do with the budgetary work and hence it can not be given award money. The federal government and even provincial governments too pay one month honorarium to the finance ministry officials who are assigned extra work for making budget.
Sources said Khawaja Awais Adil, who was auditor general Baluchistan when this plundering of provincial resources was committed and he was fired from his office for refusing to entertain the bill for of award money of the chief secretary office.
Sources said swallowing-up of millions by senior bureaucracy in the name of award money gives just a glimpse of bad governance in Baluchistan. How come chief secretary of a province can put millions and also facilitate to get millions more to other fellow bureaucrats as award money for preparing budget. “One wonders what extra work chief secretary or other senior bureaucrats’ of his office perform for budget to get award money of millions of rupee, sources concluded . Governance has always been an issue in Baluchistan province ,but the way senior bureaucrats like chief secretary committed an organized crime along with his colleagues to pocket public money is a big question mark for the federal government.
Fazeel Asghar justifies grant of award money to him and his other staff by saying his predecessors do use to get award money for budget making so its not something new. He also claim that the provincial cabinet approved the award money under question.