An audit report has revealed staggering irregularities amounting to Rs2.4 billion in Balochistan Dam Project. The Balochistan Dam Project has to construct of 100 dams in Balochistan. The audit report highlighted significant delays, with only 26 out of the planned 100 dams completed by 2021. Originally, the completion was scheduled for 2018. This delay led to an increase in construction costs by Rs261 million.
The audit report also noted that expenses for the project implementation unit and supervision soared by Rs133.6 million. Additionally, an extra payment of Rs112.6 million was made to non-shareholders. Contractors were also found to be undercharged by Rs9.9 million in income tax.
Unregulated expenditures exceeded Rs950 million, supposedly for project completion. Furthermore, Rs150 million was spent on laboratory tests that were never conducted. Another Rs131.8 million went towards soil extraction and blasting of rocks.
The audit report recommends strict action against those responsible for these financial discrepancies. The misappropriation of funds has severely impacted the project’s timeline and budget, calling for immediate accountability.