PAC directs AG to monitor performance of KP departments

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has directed the Auditor General (AG) to beside audit also monitor the performance and standard of departments during audit to ensure the utilization of official expenditure in judicious and transparent manner. The meeting of the PAC held in KP House, Abbottabad with MPA Qurban Ali Khan in the chair. Besides, MPAs, Mahmood Jan, Mohammad Idrees and Arbab Wasim Hayat, Secretary Assembly Amanullah Khan, Additional Secretary Assembly Amjad Ali and authorities of audit, law, finance and C&W departments also attended the meeting.
The committee also stressed on the review of the performance of departments during audit to exhibit the use of public exchequer in the larger public interest. The PAC meeting reviewed audit objections against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, which has highlighted irregularities and misappropriation in the expenditure of Rs 113.830 million by the authority. The committee took notice of the not recovery of a sum of Rs 44.250 million from Pakistan Railways in head of toll tax for Khushal Garh Railway and directed the authority for taking stern measures for the recovery of the amount.
During the meeting, the PAC was told that the amount is outstanding against Pakistan Railways since 2003-04, but despite repeated reminders of PkHA, Pakistan Railways had put the matter in cold storage. The committee expressed concern that despite the presence of a notification of an agreement between PR and KP government, the former is using delaying tactics in the payment of the outstanding amount.
The PAC meeting also took notice of the overpayment of Rs 4.244 million to a consultant for conducting feasibility and design of Chakdara-Madiyan Road by the authority. The auditor had termed the concerned overpayment by the department as misappropriation, while the department through explanation and presentation of documents proved that the payment was per law and according to rules and regulations. After the explanation of the department, the PAC disposed the matter and directed for timely holding of Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) to help resolve such matters.
The meeting also took notice of the overpayment of Rs 2.644 million by the authority to contractor for the up-gradation of Kanju-Madiyan Road and expressed concern over the lack of DAC and pre-PAC meetings maintained the audit objection and directed the authority to re-present the concerned audit paras in the PAC after holding DAC and pre-PAC meetings on the concerned audit objection.