PAC reveals massive irregularities in 2005-2006 audit report of N.As

By Gohar Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed Health Department to verify the degrees of all the doctors serving in government hospitals with the aid of higher education commission and lodges FIR in case some one is found with a fake degree and directed the health department to submit its report in three months to the committee. This was decided in a meeting of the PAC chaired by chairman chaudry Nisar here.

The committee has also taken notice of the purchasing of 4000 vehicles for lady workers and directed the health department to submit its report. The committee has also directed the ministry for northern areas and Kashmir affairs to introduce check and balance system in the institutions functioning under its jurisdiction in order to ensure transparency. The committee discussed the allegation of corruption in the budget for the financial year 2005-2006. Taking into consideration the amount paid regarding registration of vehicles, amount allocated for plantation and the loss caused by payment of salaries to 162 employees of establishment organization.

Chaudry Nisar directed secretary for the Ministry of Northern Areas and Kashmir Affairs to stop abusing funds in the name of plantation and said it was complete unfair and unjust to buy land cruisers on the amount given to the ministry for plantation and ordered to form a committee at additional secretary level in order to probe into the matter. The chairman also studied the loss of northern areas transport cooperation organization during the financial year 2005-2006 and while pointing towards the commercial bills of more than 39 million said “these errors should not be repeated next time”. The report also revealed that the institution had purchased vehicles without paying the custom duty besides there was government ban on purchasing of vehicles.

Chairman PAC directed the secretary for Northern Areas and Kashmir Affairs to inform the prime minister regarding the situation and ordered him to develop a transparent check and balance system in order to avoid such scams in the future. Audit report of the northern areas public works department was also scrutinized and it was revealed that an amount of 135 million was not recovered in the electricity bills. It was also revealed that an amount of 65 million was not recovered from the contractors regarding insurance premium. Chairman ordered the secretary to submit report within two weeks in this regard.