Foreign scholarships: ministry told to recover Rs 88 million from 22 teachers

A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Education Ministry to recover Rs 4 million each (Rs 88 million in total) from 22 public universities teachers who went abroad for higher studies between 1986 and 1991 on government expenses, but never returned.
The sub-committee has also asked the ministry to provide a list having qualifications of 259 scholars who were awarded foreign scholarships during the period to ascertain whether their selection was made on merit or not.
Presided over by MNA Riaz Fatayana, the sub-committee met here on Thursday to review the audit reports of the education and communications ministries for the year 1995-96.
Under the rules, scholars - public universities and professional colleges' teachers - who are sent abroad for higher learning on the government expenses are bound to return and serve the country for at least five years.
Otherwise, they or their guarantors back home are liable to repay the whole amount the government spends on their studies and lodging abroad. On selection, they are asked to fill a bond as a pledge to ensure their return.
But contrary to this, the ministry officials informed the meeting that the government had not been able to recover the amount from these 22 individuals even in 10 years.
The sub-committee asked the ministry not to spare those who had 'cheated' Pakistan and directed the officials to report back on the progress of recovery after a month. The audit department said the project for foreign training of teachers could not be completed within the stipulated time and money due to the ill management of the ministry.
It was due to be completed by June 1991 with the cost of Rs 449 million, but the ministry's poor arrangements prolonged it till May 1995 and escalated the cost to Rs 589 million - a burden of four years and Rs 140 million, the audit objected.
Another doubt some 'curious' members of the committee had in their minds was whether the then hierarchy of the education ministry did select these teachers on merit or a 'hallmark bureaucratic favouritism' held its stakes too? Chairman Fatayana asked the ministry to provide the committee a list containing the qualifications of all scholars within a week.