KARACHI - The Sindh Government and Auditor General of Pakistan have locked horns over the right of audit of town/tehsil and union council administrations in the province, sources told TheNation on Tuesday. As using its power assigned in the local government ordinance 2001, the Auditor General of Pakistan issuing a notification stopped the provincial government from the audit of lower tier of Government-Town/Tehsil and Union Council administrations immediately. Despite stopping the Provincial Government from audit of accounts for FY 2008-2009 and onwards the AGP office did not conduct audit of the majority of the Town, Tehsil and Union Administrations since 2008, a senior official of Sindh government confirmed, alleging that AGP office lacked manpower to conduct audit at lower tier of governments. The notification issued by AG Pakistan which causes tug of war among the federal constitutional institution (AGP) and Sindh Government, leaving the status quo in audit of accounts of town, tehsil and union councils for last two years. The notification of AGP, which is also available with TheNation, reads: In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (9) of section 115 of Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 (XXV11 of 2001), the Auditor General of Pakistan is pleased to direct that the Local Fund Audit Department, including the Director Local Fund Audit, shall stop of Taluka, Town and Union Administration for the financial year 2008-2009 and for subsequent years. Henceforth, and with immediate effect, the Auditor General shall audit such accounts. However, challenging the notification of AGP, the Sindh Government has questioned the powers of AGP to stop the provincial Government from audit of Town, Tehsil and Union Administration. In a communiquT to the AGP, the former Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman forwarded the official opinion of provincial government on the issue. The letter of Sindh Chief Secretary, which sent to AGP, also available with TheNation, reads: The Local Fund Audit Department of Sindh is a very old establishment, which works under Sindh Local Fund Audit Act 1930. It conducts day to day, annual and special audit of the income and expenditure of 119 Talukas/Town Municipal Administration (TMAs), 1108 Union Administrations, 66 Market Committees, 26 Waqf Properties and 35 accounts of miscellaneous organizations in Sindh. Pleading the Sindh governments official views over the issue, Chief Secretary further writes: Government of Sindh is of the opinion that in the current scenario regarding future of Local Governments, the implementation on the notification of stopping audit of town/tehsil and union councils, would cause chaotic situation at field level. The Sindh governments letter further says, The Auditor General of Pakistan may perform its functions and duties within the original ambit of Constitution of Pakistan 1973 as Local Governments come under the control of Provincial Government and Local Fund Audit Department has the right to conduct audit of accounts of Town/Tehsil and Union Administration in Sindh. Sources said that Auditor General of Pakistan replying to the Sindh Government, has contended that the sub-section (9) of section 115 of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 authorized the AGP to conduct the audit of the Towns, Tehsils and Union Administrations, so provincial government has no right to challenge the notification of AGP in this regard. When contacted, a senior official of Local Government Department of Sindh Government confirmed that no such development reported so far, as both sides stick their positions. Meanwhile, another senior official of Finance Department said that provincial government was seriously mulling to amend the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 in order to withdraw the powers of Auditor General of Pakistan to conduct audit of Towns, Tehsils and Union Administrations.