Special committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took notice of illegal appointments and promotions in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and directed the department to produce relevant record. The meeting of special committee was held with Riaz Ahemd Pirzada in the chair here on Monday. The committee reviewed audited accounts of ministry of food and agriculture, ministry of rural development and public works department (PWD).
While reviewing the accounts of food and agriculture ministry, the committee members showed their reservations over alleged illegal appointments and sacking of contract employees of PARC. Secretary agriculture replied that the prime minister has constituted a rules and regulation committee to look into the illegal appointments in government departments and share findings with PAC.
The committee also asked for the submission of comprehensive report regarding additional grants on account of development projects within 10 days. The committee was informed that the ministry had distributed fertiliser to small farmers on subsidized rates borrowing from commercial banks, which resulted in Rs 130 million loss to the ministry. The committee directed loaning from commercial bank for fertiliser must be discouraged in future.
Audit official further disclosed that during 1989-91, government released Rs 4.06 billion to various directorates at district level under the head of People's Works Programme. Ministry did not produce the relevant record of the disbursement for verification.
Cabinet Division, however, contended that relevant record could not be produced, as all the record had been burnt down in January 2002 in Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat building, Blue Area.
During the review of the audit paras of PWD, the committee was informed that Rs 10.5 million was owed by certain MNAs, MPAs and other high level government functionaries under the head-rent of Chamba House. The ministry said they had written many letters to them but no payment has been made so far. The committee recommended their names would be forwarded to Election Commission of Pakistan in case no payment was made in two weeks.