Renovation of Prime Minister's Secretariat: PAC criticises former premiers for bypassing rules

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday criticised former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto for bypassing rules in the renovation of Prime Minister's Secretariat, which caused over Rs 81 million loss to the national exchequer. The PAC's special body, which met here in the Parliament House with Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the Chair, took up the audit paras of Prime Minister's Secretariat.
The committee was informed by the audit authorities that during 1994, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had granted permission for the renovation of prime minister's secretariat on verbal orders without inviting tenders. This act of the former premier caused Rs 81 million loss to the national exchequer, while Tubash, a Greece Interior Designer was paid Rs 4.1 million as consultancy fee, the committee was told.
The committee was also informed that under the garb of sensitive work at the PM's secretariat, all rules were bypassed, which caused a dent in the national exchequer. The committee took serious note of these irregularities and directed the Secretariat to avoid bypassing rules and ensure transparency in the dealings.
Meanwhile, the PAC's Special Committee directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to increase the pace of work on the Public Transport Project in the Capital, which is pending for several years. The CDA should expedite work on this project to materialise the dream of the people living in the Federal Capital. The Committee observed that the introduction of public transport project in Islamabad will facilitate thousands of people commuting regularly between the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The Committee also directed Chairman CDA and Principal Accounting Officer to personally look into the matter on urgent basis. The CDA Chairman informed the Committee that tender has already been floated for the project and two companies have shown interest, while under the rules three companies are required to apply.
He informed that a fresh tender in this regard will be floated within next few days to meet the legal requirements. Chairman of the PAC Special Committee Riaz Hussain Pirzada directed the CDA to complete the whole process within shortest possible time. He also took serious note of the decoration of the Federal Capital during the visits of foreign dignitaries and directed the CDA not to make such lavish spending in future.
The Chairman CDA informed the Committee that the authority has to recover over Rs 40 million from the government on account of decoration of the capital. The Committee also noted that Zero Point Interchange has some technical flaws and directed all the departments to initiate work on any project after comprehensive study to avoid any error. Chairman CDA apprised the Committee that on the instructions of the Special Committee, the authority has recovered over Rs 58 million from different government departments.