A recent audit has uncovered major irregularities in livestock vaccine deliveries in Pakistan. The special audit, conducted by the Auditor General of Pakistan, examined operations at veterinary laboratories in Islamabad.
According to the audit report, a private company received payments without delivering the full quantity of livestock vaccines. The audit found that Rs. 20 million was paid to the supplier based on fake delivery challans.
The company was contracted to supply 17 million vaccine doses for sheep and goats. However, only 14 million doses were delivered. These were worth Rs. 114.6 million, not the Rs. 133.4 million originally agreed upon.
The audit also revealed that 2.4 million vaccine doses were falsely recorded in official documents to justify the payments. These fraudulent entries allowed payments to be made without proper verification or actual delivery.
Vaccines were meant for livestock in several areas, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Quetta, Lahore, and Muzaffarabad. The missing doses could put millions of animals at risk of disease outbreaks.
The Auditor General has called for a formal inquiry into the matter. The audit recommends strict action against those involved in creating false records and approving payments without verifying deliveries.
Officials say the irregularities point to a broader issue of poor oversight in the livestock sector. The audit stressed the importance of transparency in handling public funds and ensuring that life-saving vaccines reach their intended recipients.
This audit highlights the need for better checks and balances in government contracts, especially in sectors that affect food security and public health.
A full investigation is expected, and further audits may be conducted to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In other related news also read Audit Reveals Rs550M Irregularities In Punjab Home Department Funds
