Sports Budget in Question: Paradoxes Surface in Abbottabad Region's Sports Office
Musarrat ullah Jan – KikxNow . digital creator
Major discrepancies and questions have arisen about
the sports budget for sports activities and expenditure incurred in Abbottabad
for the financial year 2024-25. The facts were uncovered after a petition was
requested under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The RTI application dated May 14th produced a reply
from the Regional Sports Office that PKR 2.9 million (29 lakh) were earmarked
for sports activities and were "fully utilized," including taxes. The
reply also asserted that a total of 24 activities were organized. But key information
like a complete description of these activities, where they took place, what
their nature was, or whether there was any information regarding participants
was noticeably missing.
In contrast to that, information presented by the
Finance Department presented a different scenario. As per their accounts, the
overall budgetary estimate of the Regional Sports Office Abbottabad for 2024-25
was PKR 10,381,130 (1 crore 3 lakh 81 thousand 130). The Finance Department
disbursed PKR 10,300,980 (1 crore 3 lakh 980) to the Regional Sports Office, of
which PKR 8,628,543 (86 lakh 28 thousand 543) is stated to have been expended.
This information clearly shows that the allocated budget mentioned in the RTI
reply was not PKR 2.9 million but more than PKR 10 million, out of which a
considerable amount of PKR 8.6 million was apparently incurred.
Adding to the confusion, the report on Personnel of
the Regional Sports Office indicates that although the post of Regional Sports
Officer, Ahmed Zaman, is shown as "Filled" (BPS 18), some other key
posts are listed as "Open" (vacant). They include Administrator (BPS
17), Senior Clerk (BPS 14), Superintendent (BPS 17), and Senior Coach (BPS 17).
The assertion of carrying out "24 activities" in light of these many
empty key posts is problematic once again: Who managed these activities? Were
contract or private personnel hired? Or were false reports drawn up with just
paperwork?
The petitioner had particularly sought information
about the activities, photographs, participant lists, and competition results.
However, the reply did no more than state "24 activities" in a single
sentence, something that seems to be a blatant disregard for the RTI law and an
exercise in bad faith.
Under these circumstances, a number of important
questions of investigation are now raised:
What was the nature and where were the actual 24
activities?
On what grounds was the "full utilization"
with taxation claimed?
If PKR 8.6 million have been incurred, where has the
balance of PKR 1.7 million (out of the released budget) gone?
Who conducted the activities despite the empty slots?
Is there any aspect of financial irregularity or
corruption involved in this whole process?
A sports journalist has requested the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa government and the Sports Department to release full details of the
activities, audit reports, images, related videos, and lists of participants so
the public could be informed about the actual scenario.
This report is a
probing attempt by KIKXNOW, under the norms of transparency and accountability.
#kikxnow #digitalcreator #sportsnews #mojo #mojosports
#kpk #musarratullahjan #whoiscare #warkadang #sportsnews
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