ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel, on Wednesday, directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to carry out a special audit of the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) for the last two years, and also asked to take action against those responsible for recruiting employees in violation of the services rules.

Convener Riaz Fatyana headed the committee, which examined an audit report for year 2018-19 of the National Food Security Ministry.

While, examining the various audit objections pertaining to the subsidies given by the PASSCO, the committee referred the case to the departmental accounts committee (DAC) for reconciliation.

The committee issued directives to the National Food Security Ministry to take fruitful step for enhance storage capacity and incorporate up-to-date technology in the organisation for swift relief to the masses.

The committee was briefed by the PASSCO management for selling wheat at lower prices against the higher procurement prices in the past and details of additional stocks available during the period under review of the committee.

An audit official informed the committee that the PASSCO had storage of additional one metric ton wheat.

Despite, five million metric ton wheat sold as permitted by the government, 48,000 metric ton wheat was still in storage.

Talking about the on-going procurement drive of wheat, the Secretary for Food informed the committee that the federal government achieved 99 percent of total procurement target in Punjab and 56 percent of the total procurement target in Sindh.

The audit officials further revealed to the committee members that the PASSCO had recruited employees in 2013 who did not even apply for the vacant posts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021