PAC body meeting: Discos asked to appear before NA body

ISLAMABAD: The Sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee Friday directed for presence of the all the Distribution Companies (Discos) of Wapda in the meetings of the Sub-committee.

The Sub-committee of the PAC also directed for bringing the audit paras less that Rs5 million should be taken up at the level of Departmental Accounting Committee and only those audit paras which are above the amount of Rs5 million be taken in the sub-committees of the PAC.

The Sub-committee of the PAC was held here Friday with the chair of its convener Rana Tanveer in which the audit paras related to Power Division for the year 1999-2000 were examined.

During the meeting, Secretary Power Division Irfan Ali complaint to the sub-committee of the PAC that the audit paras which were settled at the level of the Departmental Accounting Committee were brought up again at the PAC.

While chairing the meeting, convener of the Sub-committee of the PAC Rana Tanveer Hussain said there were reservations on the performance of the Discos and whether all the representatives of the Discos were present or not in the meeting. Secretary Power Division Irfan Ali all the Discos were not been called up for the meeting as due to Ramzan and weather situation it was necessary that they should be in field.

Convener Sub-Committee of the PAC Rana Tanveer Hussain directed for the presence of all the chief executives of the Discos in the sub-committee meetings. Secretary Power Division said that the meetings of the Sub-committees of the PAC were being held on daily basis and if you (Rana Tanveer) were becoming Chairman PAC then review it.

Rana Tanveer Hussain commented that the decision of formation of the Sub-committee was taken after the objection raised by the government as the government wants to examine the audit paras of the PML-N. “There was no example of seven sub-committees of the PAC in the past,” he said, adding that the audit paras did not relates to ministers of the ministries and despite it the government has objections on it due to which the sub-committees were formed.

During the meeting, the issue of more payments to Independent Power Producers then purchase of the power and PAC member Raja Pervez Ashraf commented that the agreement with the IPPs were made due to emergency situation of shortage of electricity and these agreement will have to be honoured. “The issue of Karkey is before every one,” he said. Rana Tanveer Hussain the audit objection could not be made on the government policy as the audit para only be made on illegal payments.

Secretary Power Division said the government is only buyer and was bound to made full payment even if they were not functional but the governments have to make payment for their full capacity.