Audit panel seeks recovery of excess amount spent by Amritsar MC auto workshop

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 20

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Audit Committee has found that the auto workshop of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation spent more on the fuel and maintenance of vehicles than the government instructions. There are two separate cases of audit — first from 1999 to 2005 and second from December 2006 to 2009.

In the past, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Audit Committee conducted its three separate meetings on May 5, 2016; September 6, 2016; and July 5, 2017 and discussed the excess expenditure by the auto workshop of the MC. The committee asked the civic body to get approval from the government for excess expenditure or in case the government did not approve, recover the amount from officials and employees concerned. The audit committee has also asked to submit the name of officials and the list of vehicles.

Now, the MC has found that most of the officials and employees, who were serving during 1999 to 2009, retired from jobs, settled abroad or have died.

The auto workshop officials found that the recovery was not possible. The MC officials in the recent General House meeting proposed to waive off the amount. There is an audit para objection from 2003 to 2008 for Rs12.28 lakh and Rs78.760 for 2006-2009. The General House meeting on July 9 approved the proposal for waiving the amount. Now, it would be sent to the audit committee for approval.

Dapinder Sandhu, Superintending Engineer, auto workshop, said: “The audit cases are too old and officials concerned have retired. Some of them have even died. So, the amount is not recoverable. We have sent the proposal. Now, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Audit Committee will decide on it.”