Ministry of energy's departments: AGP detects Rs 3 trillion irregularities in accounts

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has detected Rs 3 trillion irregularities in various accounts of the attached departments of the Ministry of Energy's Petroleum and Natural Resources division. Briefing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that held here on Thursday with Syed Khurashid Ahmad Shah in the chair, the AGP officials said that the audit of various attached departments of petroleum division of energy has unearthed irregularities worth Rs 3 trillions.
The Chairman Committee asked the management of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) to produce all the record of illegal recruitments in drilling department within a week.
The audit officials informed the committee that OGDCL senior officials against set rules and regulations allowed contractors to recruit workforces for the oil/gas drilling related activities which caused Rs 4 billion financial losses to national kitty. The PAC asked Managing Director OGDCL Zahid Mir to submit a comprehensive report on the issue to the committee.
The PAC reviewed and discussed audit paras of petroleum division of 2016-17. The panel was informed that over Rs 7 billion cases related to various attached departments of petroleum division are pending in courts.
The committee was informed that OGDCL purchased substandard chemicals which caused Rs 1 billion financial losses to the national kitty. The chairman committee took serious notice of the mismanagement and asked the Secretary Petroleum who is responsible for such a huge financial loss.
Responding to Chairman PAC, Secretary Petroleum said that the ministry has initiated an inquiry into the matter and within the findings of the report will be shared with the panel 15 days.
The panel was further informed by the audit officials that OGDCL officials set aside all set rules and regulations in field operations which caused Rs 7.44 billion losses to national kitty. Audit officials said that during 2014-15, the OGDCL hired Rs 26.86 million vehicles for Tando Allahyar gas field operations in violation of set rules.
Member Committee Sardar Ashiq Hussian Gopang asked MD OGDCL why the company hired such a huge fleet of vehicles. Zahid Mir replied that these vehicles were rented as per 1984 rules, adding that at present the company was renting all the vehicles for field operations as per Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.