Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Financial irregularities of billions of rupees have been unearthed in the laying of 246 kilometres Khanewal-Raiwind railway track.

This was revealed in an audit report. This project was launched during the Musharraf regime in 2005 which could not be completed even after 10 years. Railway officers have devoured millions of rupees through corrupt practices.

According to documents received by Daily Times railway officers succeeded in embezzling over Rs 12 billion by increasing the cost of this project by 130 per cent which includes foreign exchange component worth Rs 4.87 billion.

The report said the respective officers incurred expenses over Rs 920 million in the name of revival of 159 railway bridges and signals which had been declared illegal. The audit report pointed out that Rs 10 million had been spent illegally in the name of communications system.

The officers devoured Rs 2 million in the name of retrieving of illegally occupied land from the occupants.

The federal government had released funds amounting to Rs 656 million due to negligence of railway officers but the officers could not utilise these funds and they lapsed.

The railway officers succeeded in withdrawing Rs 37 million from the national kitty by showing their personal servants as temporary employees.

The audit report observed that railway officers enhanced the cost of laying of railways track from Rs 27 million per kilometre to Rs 93.78 million causing a huge loss to the national exchequer amounting to Rs 1.54 billion.

The audit report also pointed out that the railway officers did not collect machinery worth Rs 740 million from the respective companies while payment against this machinery was made. On the other hand Rs 48 million were released for track lifts and cranes illegally.

The national kitty had to suffer a loss to the tune of Rs 206 million on account of the railway officers not making timely purchases.