Irregularities of Over 2.3 Billion Rupees Found in Balochistan’s Expanded Immunization Program: Audit Report Reveals
A recent audit report has uncovered **irregularities worth over 2.3 billion rupees** in Balochistan’s **Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)** over the last five years. According to the **Auditor General of Pakistan’s report**, discrepancies were identified in several areas of the program, raising serious concerns about the management of funds meant for public health.
### Key Findings of the Audit Report (2018-2023):
1. **Unaccounted Payments for Vaccines and Kits**
The report revealed that payments of **1.66 billion rupees** made to the federal directorate for the purchase of **vaccines and tool kits** have no supporting records, making them highly questionable.
2. **Suspicious Training Payments**
During the **COVID-19** pandemic, payments amounting to **17.7 million rupees** were made under the guise of training expenses, but these payments are considered **suspicious** due to the lack of proper documentation.
3. **Unjustified Payments without Bills**
A total of **113.5 million rupees** were paid without any invoices or bills, raising concerns about the transparency and legitimacy of these transactions.
4. **Vehicle Repairs**
An amount of **32.7 million rupees** was reported as spent on vehicle repairs, but there are no proper records or justifications for these expenses.
5. **Unauthorized Domestic Training Expenditures**
A total of **40 million rupees** were spent on domestic training programs without the approval of the **competent authority**, indicating violations of procedural norms.
6. **Irregular Payments through DDOs**
Irregular payments totaling **262.5 million rupees** were made through **Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs)**, many of which lacked proper authorization or supporting documentation.
7. **Unauthorized Payments Without Approval**
Payments amounting to **78.2 million rupees** were made without obtaining necessary approvals from the appropriate authorities.
### Action Taken:
The **Audit Report** was presented to the **Balochistan Assembly**, where the **Speaker** referred the findings to the **Public Accounts Committee (PAC)** for further investigation. The revelations have sparked concerns about **accountability** and **financial mismanagement** in one of the province’s key health programs.
The **Balochistan Government** now faces increasing pressure to address these discrepancies and ensure that **public funds** are used effectively for the intended purpose of improving public health and immunization coverage in the province.
