Rs 14.4 billion irregularities found in Pakistan Railways' accounts

Islamabad, Oct. 21 (ANI): The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has found massive irregularities worth 14.418 billion rupees in the account of Pakistan Railways (PR).

According to its report, the total expenditure of Pakistan Railways during 2007-08 was 43.687 billion rupees against total earnings of 19.972 billion rupees.

The report points out pending recoveries of 3.482 billion rupees, and recovered amount of 702,705 million rupees.

The AGP further said that non-recovery of rental charges worth 2.189 billion rupees were outstanding on account of railway land.

"The Pakistan Railways cannot retrieve a piece of land worth 5,110 million rupees from the Capital Development Authority (CDA)," the Daily Times quoted the AGP report, as saying.

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) have also occupied 87,288 square feet of the railway land, and rental charges worth 78.559 million rupees are yet to be recovered, it adds.

"The NWFP government has acquired a piece of land in Bannu for establishing a university, but the Pakistan Railways has not retrieved the released material, resulting in a 2.800 million rupees loss," the report revealed.

The audit report also exposed that Pakistan Railways sustained a loss of 155.324 million rupees due to excessive consumption of fuel by its locomotives.

"Labour of signal shops Lahore cannot be utilised due to shortage of material rendering expenditure of 109.500 million rupees incurred on their wages as wasteful," the report points out. (ANI)