Workers flats in Lahore sold illegally, PAC panel told

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee was informed Tuesday that 272 flats and plots of the Workers Welfare Board in Lahore were sold illegally causing huge loss to the exchequer.
The meeting of the panel, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar, discussed paras relating to Workers Welfare Board and ministry of overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development for the financial year 2003-04.
The sub-committee was also informed that all schools except one governed by the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation were running into losses and the OPF also failed to achieve the target of manpower export.
Secretary Workers Welfare Board Shahid Zaman told the committee that these issues related to 27 labour colonies and a committee has been established for inquiry.
The audit officials pointed out that the Workers Welfare Board has only powers to rent these houses, not to make allotment.
The sub-committee directed the departmental accounting committee to hold an enquiry on the issue and submit the report within 30 days.
The committee was informed that the OFP housing scheme in Islamabad could not be completed in 18 years due to which the construction cost has increased manifold.
During the meeting, the audit officials told the committee that Overseas Employment Corporation failed to achieve the export target of 5000 workers and could manage export of only 2861 workers.
The audit officials told the committee that in 1999-2000 a target of exporting of 4500 workers was fixed but only 2223 workers were exported while in 2001-02 only 1800 workers were exported.