PAC body discusses violation of rules by 33 housing societies in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The department of Auditor General of Pakistan on Tuesday told the sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee that the national exchequer sustained a loss of Rs115.5 million due to not imposing penalties on 33 Housing Societies in Islamabad for violating rules.

The Sub-committee meeting of the PAC was held Tuesday with the chair of its convener Mian Abdul Manan in which the audit paras relating the Capital Development Authority for the year 2009-10 were examined.

The CDA officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that the CDA takes action against all the illegal housing societies and issues public notices in the media and warns people to avoid purchase of plots in the illegal housing societies. The Audit officials inquired about the 33-housing societies which were formed in violation of rules where people had purchased plots. The CDA officials told the sub-committee that illegal constructions were made in Bhara Kahu and Bani Gala.

The CDA officials told the committee that constructions in the Ghauri Town are illegal but the CDA cannot bulldoze the houses there. “The connections of electricity and gas were provided there and CDA cannot take action alone as other departments should also assist it.

While examining another audit para, the audit officials told the sub-committee that a Housing Society in Sector E-11 utilised the land without approval of layout plan. The audit officials said that 728 kannal land was reserved for the housing colony but the society also utilised additional land. The sub-committee of the PAC directed for recovery of additional land from the housing society.

In another audit para, the audit officials told the committee that CDA had not yet recovered Rs840 million as a rent from the shuttle service for the diplomatic enclave. The CDA told the committee that record of shuttle service was theft thrice and now the record of the CDA was being digitalized which will take 8-months and once the record is digitalized it would be easy to trace irregularities.