The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has raised concerns over the transparency of the Rs. 600 million subsidies provided to farmers for solar tubewells and solar water pumps in the province. The committee has formally requested the Agriculture Department to provide a detailed record of recipients and confirm the subsidy allocation. During a meeting on Friday, chaired by PAC Chairman Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, a review was conducted of audit paras related to the Agriculture Department’s expenditures between 2019 and 2021. Among the points discussed was the subsidy distribution for solar tubewells, which was intended to support farmers in Sindh.
The Department of Agriculture’s Director General (DG) Agriculture Engineering, Hyderabad, had previously raised concerns over the incomplete records of subsidy recipients. Chairman Khuhro sought clarity on the number of farmers who had benefitted from the subsidy and requested a list of the beneficiaries. In response, officials revealed that 206 farmers had received support for solar tubewells.
The PAC also insisted on verifying the complete documentation, including copies of identification cards and bank drafts for each recipient, before proceeding with the audit.
Further, Chairman Khuhro questioned whether there was a public advertisement or notice informing farmers about the availability of subsidies, suggesting that such a program should have allowed every farmer the opportunity to apply. He emphasized the importance of transparency, urging the Agriculture Department to provide the necessary documentation, including a list of recipients and proof of the subsidy distribution. The PAC also addressed the department’s financial records, requesting clarification on Rs. 49 million in special grants allocated to the department.
The PAC instructed that all records be verified by the DG Audit Sindh. Additionally, the committee discovered an outstanding payment of Rs. 28.684 million from Agro-export processing zone allotments, which has yet to be collected from the allotted parties. The meeting concluded with the settlement of nine audit paras out of a total of 24, while the remaining 15 were deferred until the necessary verification was provided. The PAC has set the next meeting to continue its review and verification process.
