Audit paras related to MoW&P departments: Dhaga urges PAC to give more time

Secretary Water & Power, Younas Dhaga has requested the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to give 30-day time to clear audit paras of 2000-09 related to the Ministry of Water & Power and its various attached departments. Dhaga said this while briefing the PAC Committee on Monitoring and Implementation, which met here with Rana Afzal in the chair to get briefing from the Ministry of Water and Power over the directions passed by the PAC to resolve audit observations in the different projects undertaken by the ministry and attached departments.
The committee accepting the request of the secretary gave one-month time to hold department audit committee (DAC) meetings and settle audit objections of the 2000-09. The panel also directed the ministry to vigorously follow cases pending in different courts so that these issues could be fixed according to set rules and regulations. The committee decided to refer the audit objections related to the establishment of independent power plants in 1993-96 to the PAC for detailed review and discussion.
The committee reviewed different audit paras of the Ministry of Water and Power and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Audit department informed the participants that in the construction of Hub Dam a loss of Rs 1.72 million was incurred to national kitty due to defective design in work of restoration of stones apron of spillways in 1993.
The secretary responding to the aforementioned audit objection said that the issue emerged as a result of sudden rains during the construction of the dam, adding that the ministry will clear the issue within a month in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Chairman WAPDA Lieutenant General Muzammil aa/ (retd) and the member finance WAPDA assured the committee that all possible efforts will be taken to comply with the committee directions and transparency will be ensured in all the departments.