The government is planning to make Prime Minister's Inspection Commission a vibrant body to keep a check on different mega projects and ensure transparency in different development schemes. A government official told Business Recorder on Tuesday that internal meetings are being held to reactivate the organisation so that the impression of it being a dormant body could be dispelled.
"The total number of cases processed ever since the PMIC was revived in 2004 to 2008 was only 3," he said, adding that the commission, however, performed well during the PPP-led coalition government. "The PMIC processed 47 cases from July 2008 to June 2011. But unfortunately, the PPP government did not take effective steps to bring the culprits to justice," he said.
The PMIC is governed by Martial Law Ordinance number 58 of October 31, 1978, which is protected under Article 270-A of the Constitution with approval of eighth amendment to the constitution. The PMIC, under the rules, is bound to present a progress report to prime minister fortnightly. The institution can not initiate an inquiry or investigation into any case until the prime minister gives approval to the PMIC in writing.
The official insisted the PMIC recently took a prompt action on complaints of electricity consumers that new meters installed by Discos run at least 30-35 percent faster than the old ones. "All distribution companies have categorically refuted the allegation but we are still working on it. A detailed report on the issue would be presented to the prime minister in the next couple of days," he said.
The official said the commission has also been scrutinising some other important projects to ensure transparency and fairness but "it may be premature to share details about them." Malik Amjad Ali Noon, former chairman of the PMIC, told Business Recorder that some members of the commission have recently contacted him for guidance on the reports that were produced during his tenure.
Noon remained chairman of the commission for four years, from 2008 to 2012, and he produced 51 reports on different mega projects and unearthed corruption of millions of rupees. "If the prime minister wants to keep a check on his ministers and their performance, he should empower the commission," he said. Suggesting some steps to make the commission vibrant, he said the government should help co-ordinate the commission with Federal Investigation Agency, Police, Anti-Corruption Department and National Accountability Bureau so that all important projects involving billions of rupees could be monitored effectively.
Noon also claimed that the commission under his chair had unearthed corruption of millions of rupees in health ministry involving projects on polio and EPI. "Had the then government taken the commission's reports seriously the menace of polio would not have become a matter of shame for the nation," he said. Chairman of PMIC Lieutenant Colonel Saif-ud-Din Qureshi (Retd) could not be reached for his comments.