PAC body expresses anger over occupation of CDA land to build gun club

Islamabad

The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Monday expressed strong annoyance over illegally occupying the land of Capital Development Authority (CDA) to establish Gun Club and even not paying the rent of land since 2002 and directed to formulate the procedure for receiving the payment of rent.

The sub-committee of the PAC was held its meeting Monday with the chair of its convener Senator Syed Mushahid Hussain Sayed in which the audit paras relating to the CDA for the year 2009-10 and 2011-12 were examined.

The audit officials told the sub-committee that CDA land was given to Pakistan Sports Board for establishing the Gun Club in the year 2003 for the SAF Games only for one time use and Pakistan Sports Board got 44 acres of land for this purpose and later on gave the 22 acres of land to Gun Club.

Member of the PAC Dr Arif Alvi observed that there were no funds for poor of this country but acres of land were given for the recreation of rich class and there was neither parks for children nor funds for their protection. “The CDA should get back its right and save the land from the rich class of the country,” he observed.

Convener of sub-committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed observed that the land should be given on lease and rent should be recovered but not to close the Gun Club. “I become the member of the club by paying Rs25,000 and instead of closing the club it would be appropriate to get rent from the leased land,” he observed.

Examining another audit para, the audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that that the CDA in the year 2005 had given the contract of Rs510 million for developing Sector D-12 but the contractor was financially weak so the CDA has helped him with making his account and even stopping of the development work, the CDA has transferred Rs160.3 million in the contractor’s account which was still not recovered.

The CDA officials said major chunk of amount had been recovered and only little amount remaining for recovery which would be recovered from the guarantee amount of contractor. The sub-committee of the PAC had also referred the corruption cases of the Ministry of Housing and Works to the NAB for the investigation.

The audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that the case of Hayat Regency Hotel was in the court and could not be discussed here but the FIA be asked about the investigation against the officials of the CDA in this case. The FIA officials took a stance in the meeting that they needed some more time and would present their report to the committee on Tuesday.