Stop this wastage

The Auditor General's Office informed a sub-committee of the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) the other day of some glaring acts of commission and omission in government departments. The committee was told that out of 18,000 vehicles recently procured by the government for various development projects, as many as 16,000 are in personal use of project executives.
And that although the rules require that such vehicles be surrendered to the Cabinet Division at the completion of each project, in practice that never happens. This is sheer misuse of public money. Ironically, it is happening at a time a cash strapped government has announced a drastic cut in the development budget.
The committee was also informed of another irregularity pertaining to re-employment of retired officials. Although, a relevant directive clearly states that any retired government official who is re-employed is not entitled to draw his pension, the rule is being violated widely. People are drawing dual salaries, both as new hire inductees and pensioners.
Sad as these revelations are, they are not surprising. Government functionaries, ministers and bureaucrats alike, are known to routinely use official cars for personal purposes, having them take families for shopping or driving children to and from school. Even pool cars, meant for official business only, can be spotted running family errands.
In some instances, each family member may have access to a separate vehicle. No wonder, in one particular instance, before the denationalisation of commercial banks, just five banks procured over 600 vehicles! The cost of this abuse is borne by the public not only in the form of vehicle purchase but also drivers' salaries, petrol, and maintenance charges. At present, as the PAC sub-committee was informed, the misuse causes loss worth Rs 4 billion annually to the exchequer.
These glaring wrongdoings must be brought to an end sooner rather than later. In the case of salary double draws, the solution is simple and obvious. As per the existing rules, only one salary ought to be paid. Whosoever is responsible for allowing the pilferage must also be held to account. As to the vehicle misuse, it is hoped that the PAC will ensure this does not happen in the future. Toward that end, first of all the relevant department must have well reasoned justification for purchase of new vehicles; it must get the old ones returned for reuse or auction. It is equally important to keep a tab on running expenses. Each vehicle must maintain a logbook, to be signed by user, so that mileage is regularly monitored. This may not bring about a complete change in the government functionaries' habit of taking undue advantage of entitlements, but it can help effect major improvement.