Preliminary findings in an ongoing audit by the accountant-general have revealed financial irregularities in the working of Patna Municipal Corporation over the past five years.

Based on the initial findings of the routine audit by the accountant-general’s (AG) office, Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner Kuldip Narayan has decided to request the finance department or the AG’s office to conduct thematic audits on matters in which widespread financial irregularities have been found.

“I have decided to get thematic audits done on several issues. Such issues relate to collection of revenue by renting commercial properties of the erstwhile Patna Regional Development Authority (PRDA), sale of outdoor advertisement space and expenditure on solid waste management, fuel and vehicle management,” said Narayan.

The commissioner added that rents from numerous commercial properties of the PRDA have not been recorded in treasury of the PMC over past several years.

Financial irregularities have also been found in fogging over the past five years. Sources said funds were spent on purchase of fuel and procurement of vehicles for fogging, but no money was spent on purchase of Melathion power or kerosene oil. Funds were also spent on purchase of fuel for vehicles, though there was no entry in the logbook for fogging in particular areas.

“The AG’s office has sought clarification against the anomalies. The executive officers of the respective circles have been asked to furnish the required documents. Any conclusion would be reached only after the AG’s office gives its final report,” said Narayan.

The commissioner also said a slew of measures would be taken over the next few weeks to eradicate the possibility of financial anomalies. “We are going to digitise all letters sent and received by PMC. Those that do not have any element of confidentiality would be put on the website of the civic body. We are also contemplating to install global positioning system (GPS) devices on all vehicles used for solid waste management and other civic works, so that their movement can be matched with the corresponding logbook.”

During the empowered standing committee meeting on Tuesday a review of preparation for Diwali was also done. Twenty-five CFLs would be installed in every ward of the civic body before the festival of lights.