Audit uncovers 80 missing vehicles in KP livestock department

PESHAWAR: In a shocking revelation, at least 80 government vehicles have been found missing from the official records of the KP Livestock and Dairy Development Department, according to an audit report.

The audit conducted for the financial year 2023–24 revealed the gap between the vehicles declared by the department and the data obtained from the Excise Department.

97 vehicles were shown in the list submitted by the department; however, cross-checking revealed that 80 more vehicles were registered under the name of the Director General of Livestock, which were neither listed in records nor physically present in field offices.

One Suzuki Bolan, 10 Wagon-Rs, 1 Toyota Gli, 9 Toyota Hilux, and 59 vehicles of unidentified type are the vehicles that went missing.

The excise data reviewed ranges from 2007 to 2021, implying that the number of missing vehicles may be higher, as records after 2021 are not available.

The vehicles may be in use by unauthorised persons, and the lapse occurred due to weak administrative controls within the department, as per the audit.

Recovery letters have been sent, and an inquiry commission headed by the Secretary of Livestock has been established to look into the situation, according to provincial livestock minister Fazal Hakim.