LAHORE – Rejecting media reports on audit observation and irregularities in the Green Tractor Scheme 2008-09, the Punjab Agriculture Department spokesman clarified on Thursday that utmost care was exercised by the department to obviate any chance of omission and negligence in implementation of the Green Tractor Scheme.
The spokesman said that alleged irregularities regarding implementation of the scheme were primarily based on audit commissioned by the auditor general and the report is presently under examination of the agriculture department. He said that it appears that some procedural lapses have been exaggerated in the audit report and reportedly in certain cases even the record has not been properly examined by auditors.
The spokesman said that the agriculture department, after receiving the audit report, had constituted a committee to examine the propriety of procedural lapses, as pointed out in the audit report. He said that after announcement of the Green Tractor Scheme, more than 0.2 million applications were received, which were duly scrutinised at the tehsil level by tehsil committees headed by respective deputy district officer (DDO) (Revenue) in accordance with the approved eligibility criteria. Balloting of the applications was carried out by an independent third party, The Bank of Punjab, and as a result, 10,000 successful applicants were drawn in a transparent manner in presence of the general public and district committees with an opportunity of raising objections.
The spokesman said that unsuccessful applicants did file objections, which were not only properly examined by the respective district committees but also disposed of after affording an opportunity of personal hearing to the aggrieved.
He said that the Punjab chief minister has also constituted a high-level committee to examine any lapse, as reflected in the media reports, which at this stage appear to be misrepresentation of facts.
