KARACHI: Unhappy with the performance of municipal bodies across the province, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly on Thursday questioned the spending of billions of rupees on local councils when the situation in rural and urban areas is not satisfactory.

While examining the audit paragraphs of the local councils of Sukkur Division from financial years 2019 to 2022, the PAC, which met here under the chairmanship of Nisar Ahmed Khuhro,questioned the performance of union committees/councils, town and municipal committees across Sindh and directed the Sindh local government (LG) department to submit the record of their monthly funds, expenditure and employees.

The PAC meeting also ordered the additionalchiefsecretary of the LG department to conduct an inquiry into the annual expenditure of Rs8 million in the head oftransportfuelin the local councils across the province and submit a report.

Mr Khuhro said that despite `spending billions of rupees` on local councils, the situation in ruralareas and even citiesisnot satisfactory.

The PAC sought details of the monthly OZT funds released to municipal corporations, district councils, town and municipal committees and UCs across Sindh.

The LG department was alsodirected to submit to the PAC expenditure and data-based details of all employees of the councils.

The meeting was attended by committee member Makhdoom Fakhar-uz-Zaman, chief officers of district councils of Sukkur division, chief municipal officers of municipal committees. It was revealed in the meeting that the municipal committee of Panu Agil had spent Rs8million on petrol annually and Rsimillion on vehicles` maintenance.

Earlier on Dec 9, the PAC was informed that the chairman of the Panu Agil municipal committee used 600 litters of petrol per month.

The PAC chairman inquired how the municipal chairman was using 600 litters of petrol, while the petrol limit of the ministers was not more than 300 to 400 litres per month.

The PAC ordered an inquiry by the Additional ChiefSecretary. It also took notice of the failure of the municipal committee of Pano Agil to deposit Rs7.9 million collected tax in the government treasury despite receiving it and directed the Municipal Committee to deposit the tax amount in the government treasury within 15 days.

The PAC also ordered to suspend the official who had made recruitment of 63 daily wage employees without the approval of the municipal committee of Panu Agil.

The PAC chairman expressed concern and displeasure over the District Council Ghotki for spending millions of rupees on projects without inviting tenders.

He said that public funds were being spent on the projects without inviting open bids and warned that this practice would have to come to an end. `Local councils should get the work done by open tendering.

It was further revealed in the meeting that there were 772 employees in the Rohri Municipal Committee and an OZT fund of Rs75.4 million was released monthly.

It may be noted that the PAC had on Dec 9, 2024, expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the local bodies, observing that despite a massive annual budget, only 50 per cent development was being seen in the civic infrastructure across the province.