Syed Ali Shah:
Quetta – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly has unearthed massive financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in the provincial Energy Department, raising serious concerns about corruption, mismanagement, and poor governance.
During the high-level PAC meeting chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, shocking revelations came to light. According to audit reports, the Energy Department received Rs10.40 billion in funds during FY 2021-22, but only Rs8 billion were spent, while a staggering Rs2.31 billion lapsed unused. Lawmakers strongly criticized this financial negligence, terming it a clear sign of weak budget planning and ineffective use of public money.
The committee also discovered alarming discrepancies in the subsidized tube wells scheme. The Energy Department allegedly paid Rs10 billion to K-Electric and Rs30 billion to QESCO without proper meter readings, relying only on estimates. PAC members declared these payments as blatant irregularities and warned that such unchecked spending was unacceptable.
Another key finding revealed that landlords in Balochistan owe Rs500 billion to QESCO, while various government institutions are defaulting on Rs54 billion. Lawmakers questioned how such massive outstanding bills exist when most areas of the province receive electricity for only three to four hours a day.
Adding to the controversy, QESCO was reported to have collected Rs9.89 billion in electricity duty but failed to transfer the provincial share to the Balochistan government. Similarly, around Rs620 million in Sales Tax on Services (BSTS) was also not transferred, resulting in heavy losses to the provincial treasury.
Members of the committee expressed outrage over the Energy Department’s repeated failure to comply with PAC directives. They warned that if the department continued to ignore accountability, the matter could be referred to NAB (National Accountability Bureau).
The PAC directed authorities to ensure recovery of all outstanding dues within one month and emphasized that responsible officials would face strict action if negligence continued.
This latest PAC session has exposed the deep-rooted corruption and financial mismanagement within the Energy Department. Analysts believe that if these decisions are implemented, it could save the provincial exchequer billions of rupees and improve transparency in the energy sector.
