147 acre land for defence purposes shifted to housing schemes

ISLAMABAD: The revelation made before the subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the Defense Ministry sustained a loss of over Rs4.5 billion due to unauthorised use of 147 acres of land that was classified for defence purposes, but proposed to transfer to Housing Directorate for carving out the Housing schemes.

The audit officials pointed out that as provisions contained in Rule-5 of the Cantonments Land Administration Rules (CLAR)-1937, A-1 land meant for active use by military buildings (ie unit line, Parade grounds, etc) and no building of any kind shall be erected on Class “A” land except with the previous sanctions of the government after re-classified and on payment of full market price at prevailing rates.

The audit officials said that it was received from the record of Military Estate Office (MEO), Rawalpindi, that 147.7 acres A-1 land was handed over to the Housing Directorate for carrying out Housing schemes through their letter No H-28/12/Rawat/58 dated 18th November 2005 without previous sanction of federal government despite the facts that land was classified as A-1 was for defence purpose only.

The land includes 95.26 acres of Camping Ground, Rawat, 30 acres of Tank Testing Area 502 Central Workshop EME, Rawalpindi Cantonment, and 22.21 acres of CMT&SD at Chaklala, Rawalpindi.

It was informed to the subcommittee that when it was pointed by the audit in March 2009, the audit official replied that the land measuring 95.26 acres at Camping Ground, Rawat, was proposed to be transferred to Housing Directorate for carving out the Housing schemes, and the Station Headquarter, Rawalpindi, was requested to detail a board of officers for completion of Board proceedings, including demarcation and handing/taking over formalities so that the government sanction to this effect would be obtained.

The audit officials told the committee that the matter was still pending while the process for obtaining government sanction for re-classification of land measuring 30 acres areas at Tank Testing Area 502 Central Workshop EME, Rawalpindi Cantonment, and CMT&SD Chaklala, Rawalpindi, measuring 22.31 acres would be initiated for establishment of the Housing Schemes y Adjutant General’s (AG’s) branch after completion of certain formalities by the concerned quarters.

The PAC subcommittee referred back the audit para at the level of the Departmental Accounting Committee for re-discussion at this level. The sub-committee was also tolsd that draft of over Rs1 lakh dollars sent to the Defense University in the head of training one foreign student was missing and not traceable yet.

Defence Ministry officials told the PAC subcommittee that a draft of over one lakh dollars was sent by the Bahrain government, but it was not traceable that in which account it was transferred, and a letter written to the Bahrain government to inquire from their bank whether the amount was transferred or not, and if it was transferred then in which account. Subsequently, on the reply of the officials of the Defense Ministry, the PAC subcommittee had deferred the audit para.

The subcommittee was held its meeting on Thursday with the chair of its convener Sardar Ashiq Gopang in which the audit paras of the Defense Ministry for the year 2008-09 were examined.

While examining the audit report of the Defense Ministry for the year 2008-09, the audit officials told the PAC subcommittee that the audit paras of over Rs7.17 billion was included in the report and out of which the audit paras of over Rs473 billion were presented before the subcommittee while the six audit objections of Rs30 million were pending in the courts of law. Defense Ministry’s Additional Secretary, Hamid Rasheed Randhawa, told the committee that the corruption in the Defence Ministry is unacceptable.

The PAC member, Senator Azam Swati, was of the opinion that if the rules and procedures were followed then the ways and means of the corruption could be stopped.

While examining another audit para, the audit officials told the PAC subcommittee that the Punjab government has given Rs98.7 million for the facilities and land for the Military Farms, Lahore, but this amount was not deposited in the national exchequer.

Defense Ministry officials took a stance that the amount was deposited in the national exchequer and presented the authentication and following the authentication certification the committee settles the para.