ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, the top parliamentary watchdog, on Tuesday hinted at summoning Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman, Rashid Mahmood Langrial for ordering procurement of approximately 1,100 vehicles for his department.
The PAC meeting, presided over by PAC chairman Junaid Akbar Khan, expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of recovery in the power sector after Secretary Power Division Dr Muhammad Fakhre Alam Irfan stated that he was unable to recover Rs603 billion out of a total of Rs877 billion from power sector defaulters, with only Rs162 billion recovered.
A visibly perturbed PAC chairman over the slow pace of recovery from defaulters stated that billions of rupees are set aside for electricity poles, and he knows how much money goes into whose pocket.
Over 1,010 vehicles: FBR halts process of procurement
The abysmal performance of the Power Division in ensuring recovery from defaulters also earned the ire of the PAC members, who questioned the work done by Langrial, the former secretary of the Power Division, who is now the chairman FBR.
Shahida Akhter Ali, a member of the PAC, particularly questioned what Langrial did as secretary of the Power Division during his tenure to ensure recovery from the defaulters.
At this point, the PAC chairman stated that Langrial has now moved to the FBR and is busy ordering the procurement of approximately 1,100 vehicles for his employees.
He then said that the PAC may summon him in the next meeting to explain what compelled him to purchase hundreds of vehicles for FBR officials at a time when the economy is doing really bad.
Khan went on to say that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, no electricity poles are installed because the people do it themselves after losing all hope from those who are supposed to do their job.
Dr Irfan stated that the ministry will request the FBR and the Finance Ministry to reduce the taxes on electricity bills, adding that if taxes are reduced, people will be able to bear the exorbitant bills.
He went on to say that in areas where there are recovery issues, the government has set up a Disco Support Unit – a recovery team comprising officials from spy agencies and paramilitary forces – to combat power theft and improve recovery.
He stated that the Disco Support Unit will be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, consisting of Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and civil armed forces, which will help in making recovery from the defaulters.
The PAC chairman directed the Power Division to submit a monthly progress report on recoveries to the PAC, warning that failure to do so would result in strict action against the concerned officials.
With directives to submit a list of the top 300 defaulters, the PAC chairman also sought reports from the Discos on the number of arrests and other actions taken against power pilferers and defaulters.
The issue of refunding more than Rs21 billion in over billing to consumers was also raised in the meeting.
The audit officials said that the meter reading staffs were clearly negligent, but no action was taken against them.
The secretary of the Power Division admitted that people were over-billed, and the money was later returned.
The chairman of the committee stated that a list of those against whom action has been taken should be provided to the committee.
The meeting discussed the audit objections related to the Board of Investment (BOI).
The audit officials stated that during the fiscal year 2021-22, various services worth Rs5.5 million were obtained without any competition, which was against the rules.
The establishment of the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-Industrial Cooperation Development Project (CPEC-ICDP) administration also cost heavily to the national kitty.
This enraged the PAC chairman, who questioned Finance Ministry officials for acting as silent spectators, wondering why they had not taken any action despite the passage of four years.
The Finance Ministry officials requested the committee to refer the matter back to the ministry, which enraged the flamboyant PAC chairman, who grilled the officials for their negligence.
“Do you come here to have a cup of tea with us? Were you aware that the audit paras were going to be discussed today, but you came without any preparation,” he asked.
“Do not force me to expel you from the [PAC] meeting. You were supposed to be ready to answer the paras pointed out by the audit officials,” he warned, giving them fifteen-days to resolve the issue.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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