Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage: PAC body examines audit accounts of Ministry

A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was held under its chairman Shaikh Rohale Asghar on Thursday. The committee examined the audit accounts of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage for year 2009-10. The committee members offered 'Fateha' on the death of daughter of Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Rana Asad Amin and brother of member committee Arif Alvi. The committee raised serious reservations over giving airtime to National Testing Services (NTS) on state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) which is a private organisation. Secretary Information Imran Gardezi; however, clarified that PTV does not air the advertisements of NTS as a whole but as part of government advertisements.
Audit officials informed that the PAC had directed for holding inquiries thrice but not a single inquiry was held to fix the responsibility for awarding contracts worth Rs 4.3 million for constructions of Jandila Sher Khan and Shah Dara monuments at Lahore in 2004. The committee again directed to hold the inquiry.
Convener Committee inquired the steps being taken to stop stealing of antiques in the museums. The Secretary argued that the managements of the museums went to provincial governments after promulgation of 18th constitutional amendment. The committee also took the issue pertaining to purchase of items worth 20,000 Canadian dollars in Canada by violating the PPRA rules.
Secretary Information argued that the cost of advertisement in Canadian newspaper would be much higher than the purchasing cost. He further asked the committee to recommend the government for relaxation in PPRA rules. He argued the foreign missions should be given authority to place the tenders on the website rather than on foreign newspapers. Audit officials also informed the committee that two US firms did not pay Rs 1.15 million utilisation charges to PTV. The committee directed an inquiry. The committee also ordered an inquiry to find out why Indus Entertainment did not pay Rs 60.52 million for utilisation of PTV's uplink facilities. The committee was further informed that PTV did not recover Rs 52 million from SSI for utilisation of services in 2002.