The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has sought comprehensive details from all district deputy commissioners regarding district Annual Development Program (ADP) schemes and expenditures from the allocated budget of ڑس 120 billion. During a PAC meeting chaired by Nisar Khuhro in the Sindh Assembly’s committee room on Thursday, deputy commissioners failed to provide complete records of ADP schemes and spending. Consequently, the PAC instructed the Sindh Chief Secretary to notify the Principal Accounting Officer responsible for these schemes.
The meeting was attended by committee members, including Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman, Tahir Ahmed of MQM Pakistan, Secretary of Works and Services Muhammad Ali Khoso, and other officials. Nisar Khuhro questioned the Principal Accounting Officer’s role in overseeing district ADP schemes. Secretary Muhammad Ali Khoso clarified that deputy commissioners prepare the ADP schemes as heads of district development committees, while the secretary of the works department is not the Principal
Accounting Officer. Khuhro further asked about the budget allocation formula and approval process for ADP schemes. The Works Department explained that district ADP budgets are allocated based on the NFC Award and district population.
The schemes are approved by a committee headed by deputy commissioners and including engineers from the Works Department and representatives from local government. The PAC raised concerns about accountability, with Khuhro emphasizing the need for clarity on who is responsible for overseeing ADP schemes—whether it is the deputy commissioners or the department secretary. He pointed out that since 2009, the question of accountability for district ADP schemes remains unresolved. To ensure transparency, the PAC has requested detailed reports within ten days, including the number of ADP schemes in each district, ongoing projects, and the funds spent on them. Khuhro stressed, “We need audits and accountability because billions of taxpayers’ money is at stake.”
The PAC reiterated that officers must answer for public funds, and it will not allow unchecked authority over these schemes. The committee’s move aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of development funds across Sindh.
