Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took serious note of the mismanagement and misappropriation of funds in government departments and directed the heads of the departments to make sure to maintain complete financial discipline and transparency in their accounts.
In the PAC meeting held here on Friday, Chairman of the PAC, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan observed that financial discipline and transparency could assure good governance. He urged the financial transparency at every level, saying that in future, Principal Accounting Officer would also be held accountable for misappropriations in the department accounts, besides the individual involved in the same.
He expressed concern over problems in budgeting system of the departments, saying that budgeting system has gone totally distorted which needs maintenance, monitoring and proper implementation where its sanctity is not desecrated.
He directed the acting Secretary Education Shahid Ahmad to take legal action against the scholarship holders who did not join their duties after completion of studies or failed to complete studies during the period 1988-1996.
The Education Ministry officials informed the PAC that Rs 57 million are yet to be recovered from those scholarship holders while 17 were still absconders. Their services have been terminated and the department is initiating legal proceedings against them and their guarantors to recover the amount, they said. The PAC gave three months time to the Education Ministry and directed them to write to DCOs and other revenue officers to recover the amount from scholarship holders.
Member of the PAC, Hamidyar Harraj said that the FIA's assistance in this regard could also be taken to conduct investigations and recover the money. The audit had submitted that Education division sent abroad a large number of persons for higher studies and 27 scholarship holders did not return to Pakistan after completing their training during 1988-1996. Approximately, expenditure of Rs 76.16 million incurred on foreign training of these individuals was, therefore, recoverable from them.
The committee also sought report in 10 days from Federal Directorate of Education for unauthorised transfer of Rs 41.942 million to PWD to avoid lapse of budget. A sub-committee of the PAC would fix responsibility regarding the unauthorized transfer.
Hamidyar Harraj asked the ministry of education officials to explain as to why Inter-Board Chairmen Committee (IBCC) took so long in giving decisions on the question of genuineness of BA degrees submitted by the candidates of political parties in general elections 2002. The committee also sought from the ministry a detailed report regarding grading and equivalence system of the IBCC by next meeting.
The PAC also sought report on what it observed appointments in contravention of NCA rules and irregular payment amounting to Rs 1.501 million. If found guilty of misuse of authority, the reimbursement of money would be ensured from the individual responsible for it, Nisar observed.
The officials of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) told PAC that Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) took over possession of PBC land measuring 12.73 acres at Karachi and Islamabad. The compensation for land at Karachi measuring 7.73 acres has been set at Rs 7.26 million per acre, whereas land at Islamabad measuring 5 acres has been taken over without any compensation.
They further told the committee that Rescue-15 office of Islamabad Police near Zero Point was also constructed on the PBC land. Riaz Hussain Pirzada termed the situation as a sorry state of affairs and added how PBC officials could stand guard to protect its property. The committee sought a detailed report in this regard within 4 weeks.
The committee members Hamidyar Harraj and others urged the PTV and PBC high ups to take steps so that state-owned media could compete with independent media organisations.
PAC also directed to recover the excess payment of Rs 0.074 million from a Pakistani scholar Dr Manzoor Firaqi who was posted at Urdu Chair Tehran University and remained in hotel at Tehran for 21 days without the approval of the ministry as well as payment of hotel charges in excess of rental ceiling of 900 dollars per month. It further said if the amount is not adjusted within 2-week time, disciplinary action will be taken against the individual concerned.