Rs15b used by Sindh Coal Authority: Supreme Court orders Sindh CM to submit audit report

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed Sindh chief minister to submit audit report about the utilisation of over Rs15 billion development funds allocated to the Sindh Coal Authority for completion of projects.

Hearing suo motu case against corrupt elements working on deputation in the Sindh Coal Authority, the Supreme Court ‘s two-member bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed took exception to non-compliance of the court directives and asked the advocate general where Rs15 billion allocated to SCA has been utilised. The court observed that despite spending billions of rupees, the people of Thar could not get clean drinking water.

The court observed that it is responsibility of the government to provide basic necessities of life however the funds allocated for the development projects were not utilised properly and misused. The court observed that the Sindh Coal Authority was allocated funds worth Rs105,906,940,000 for implementing and executing projects and schemes but it has no achievement to show for record. The court directed the Sindh CM to submit audit report about the use of funds by the Sindh Coal Authority in one month.

The SC on March 24, 2017 had declared the Sindh Coal Authority dysfunctional since it was working without a functional board for last several years and ordered the Chief Secretary to conduct inquiry into all the projects undertaken by the Sindh Coal Authority and the Special Initiative Department. The court had observed that the Sindh Coal Authority was established to explore, develop, process, mine and utilize coal, however, it undertook activities which the Act does not permit, and that too without the approval of its Board. Instead, the two organisations are spending billions of rupees on the directions of a small clique while avoiding and circumventing established methods of checks and balances which is a matter of grave public concern, the court had observed. The court directed the Sindh government to transfer all such projects and schemes executed or being implemented by the SCA other than exploration and utilizing of coal, to the relevant government department.