ISLAMABAD: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed National Highway Authority (NHA) to ensure recovery of misappropriate amount of Rs 51.324 million from contractors within one month and present report in this regard.

Showing surprise on the way the officials made corruption and awarded the work to contractors for Rs 51.324 million whose actual cost was Rs 0.4 million, showing more than 12,000 per cent high price.

Chairman of the Committee Nadeem Afzal Gondal remarked that this way really unfair when National Finances were misappropriated just to please the favorites.

The Audit Officers observed that Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian (M-3) project, NHA changed the item 506-C "precast" 512 chutes payable at Rs 780 per chute for a total amount of Rs 399,360 as provided in original Bill of Quantities (BOQ) to concrete chutes "in Situ" (at-site casting) to be paid item wise through revised BOQ which increase the item rate cost at Rs 101,021.27 with net effect of Rs 51.723 million which was 12,863 per cent above the original rate.

Chairman NHA Muhammad Ali Gardezi said that in original BOQ, precast concrete chutes at Rs 780 per number was provided but as per revised BOQ the same item was included item wise and being executed accordingly. He said that the measurement was made as per approved revised BOQ.