A special committee of Public Accounts Committee has directed the Ministry of Housing to recover arrears from 19 parliamentarians who were provided residential accommodation in federal lodges from January 1989 to October 1990. The special committee met under the chairmanship of Riaz Perzada on Tuesday.
Reviewing the audit report of the Ministry of Housing and Works for 1990-91, Secretary Housing Raja Abbas informed the committee that Rs 0.8 million was outstanding as dues against 19 parliamentarians, which needed to be recovered. The Secretary further informed the committee that the government official who rented the accommodation at Chamba House during 1989 to 1993, owed Rs 3.774 million.
The committee was further informed that out of the total an amount of Rs 1,676,000 was outstanding against ex-Principal Secretary to the prime minister Saleem Abbas Jillani which had been deleted by DAC. The committee recommended that rental policy may be reviewed and strengthened for avoiding non-payment of rent by the occupants of the suits. It also directed the concerned department to ensure that recovery of all outstanding dues is made from the defaulters without exception. Report should be submitted to the committee on action taken along with list of defaulters showing outstanding dues against each.
In PAC's review of Ministry of Religious Affairs for the year 1992-93, parliamentarians learnt that an expenditure of Rs 200,000 was sanctioned by the ministry for T.A/DA to a five-member accommodation committee out of pilgrims' welfare fund. Contrary to this, ministry deputed 21 persons for arranging accommodation in Saudi Arabia for the intending Hujjaj.
Illegal expenditure of Rs 907,063 was incurred. In the light of the enquiry report the old record was not traceable and all the concerned persons had retired or died. The committee recommended fresh inquiry into the matter for fixing responsibility.