A recent report issued by the National Audit Office has brought to light concerning findings regarding vehicle ownership at the Irrigation Department. According to the report, a total of 880 vehicles belonging to the department are currently not under its custody.
Data obtained from the Motor Transport Department’s system indicates that 2004 vehicles were registered under the address of the Irrigation Department or Directorate General of Irrigation. However, the vehicle register maintained by the Irrigation Department itself reveals ownership of only 1,124 vehicles.
The audit has recommended a thorough investigation into the whereabouts of the missing vehicles and any potential irregularities associated with their absence from the department’s custody.
In response to the audit’s findings, the accounting officer of the Irrigation Department acknowledged that information on 1,124 out of the 2,004 vehicles registered under the department has been accounted for. However, a significant number of vehicles remain unaccounted for, with insufficient documentation available to verify their status.
The accounting officer cited instances of potential misuse, including vehicles tendered out to external parties without proper registration, vehicles designated as scrap, and vehicles provided to officers and other departments under various projects but not returned at the conclusion of said projects.
