Representational image. PHOTO: FILE
HYDERABAD: The defunct education offices in seven districts of Hyderabad division utilised around Rs140 million unauthorised funds in fiscal year 2017-18. Interestingly, the Sindh education and literacy department made these offices inoperative over three years ago, restricting them from making use of non-salary expenditures.
Despite the restriction, the department kept releasing the non-salary budgets with over Rs176 million final budget recorded in the last financial year. And, some 16 offices of District Officer Education (DOE) academic training, DOE sports, DOE SEMIS and Executive District Officer put that non-salary budget to use in an apparent violation of the constraint. The concerned officials exercised powers of Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) in this regard.
“The officials who released the budget for repair, maintenance, fuel, furniture, fixtures, of the defunct offices are equally involved in the scam along with the DDOs who received and availed the amount,” an education official, who requested anonymity, said while talking to The Express Tribune.
According to him, while the department made the said offices dysfunctional, the…
