QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) came down heavily on the provincial Irrigation Department for gross financial mismanagement, prolonged negligence, and a failure to recover hundreds of millions in outstanding dues.
Chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, the committee expressed severe dismay that the department had failed to recover Rs 358.252 million from its Hub Division, despite clear directives issued over a year ago. The meeting reviewed audit paras for the fiscal years 2020-22, which revealed irregular expenditures of Rs 68.327 million on “unacceptable items” and overpayments at inflated rates, which audit officials attributed to weak financial controls.
A major point of contention was the water supply from the Hub Dam to the Lasbela Industrial Development Authority (LIDA). The committee uncovered a “gross injustice,” revealing that LIDA was being charged a mere Rs 7 per 1,000 gallons for water it then sold to industrial units for Rs 250. Declaring this a significant public loss, the PAC ordered an immediate revision of the tariff to Rs 100 per 1,000 gallons and directed the Chief Secretary to issue a formal notification.
Furthermore, the committee granted a final deadline until February for the completion of the long-delayed Gurok Storage Dam, warning that further delays would not be tolerated. Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen condemned the department’s culture of persistent negligence and misreporting of facts, directing strict action against responsible officers to enforce financial discipline and accountability within the department.
Meanwhile in a significant move to accelerate economic development, the Balochistan government has officially approved the Bostan Special Economic Zone SEZ Council. The decision was finalized during the 8th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT), presided over by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti.
The newly established council is strategically designed to strengthen coordination between the provincial government and Chinese investors, with a specific focus on enhancing projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.
