PAC body seeks details of officials using luxury vehicles

ISLAMABAD: The austerity drive of Prime Minister Imran Khan became victim of bureaucracy’s extravagance expenditure as on Monday the subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee sought the details of those officials from all the ministries and divisions who avails themselves of the luxury vehicles despite monetisation policy.

Convener of the PAC Subcommittee, Noor Alam Khan, remarked that despite the austerity drive and ban on the purchase of vehicles, the ministries and divisions were purchasing the luxury vehicles.

The Sub-committee held its meeting with the chair of its convener Noor Alam Khan in which the audit paras related to the Cabinet Division, Ogra and Islamabad Club for the financial year 2017-18 were examined.

During the meeting, PAC Subcommittee Convener Noor Alam Khan also expressed strong annoyance over the absence of Secretary Finance saying that it seems that he was not giving importance to PAC. He also directed to write a letter to Prime Minister Imran Kahn about the displeasure of the committee of absence of the secretary finance from the meeting of the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee also sought the details of the procedure of the membership of the Islamabad Club and also details about all the members of the Islamabad Club. In the meeting, the Subcommittee also expressed its displeasure over non-formation of the rules of Islamabad Club

The officials of the Cabinet Division told the committee that the rules for Islamabad Club were being formed and the drafted rules were with the Cabinet Division, Establishment Division and Finance Ministry.

Convener of the Subcommittee Noor Alam Khan remarked that six months have been passed, but the rules so far not finalised.

The officials of the Cabinet Division replied that the Cabinet Division and Law Ministry took time to finalise the drafted rules, and they did not sent it yet and time of 8 to 10 months should be given to finalise these rules.

Convener of the Sub-committee Noor Alam Khan also questioned the procedure for the membership of the Islamabad Club saying that usually the membership was given to bureaucrats, diplomats and politicians but now it was given on the payment of Rs500,000 to one million but where this fees goes as it was not deposited in national exchequer. He directed to prove the details of the procedure of awarding the membership and the list of the members of the Islamabad Club in the next meeting.

While examining the audit paras related to Ogra, the audit officials told the committee that Ogra has purchased the luxury vehicles of Rs14.2 million during the period of ban on purchase of new vehicles. The officials of the Ogra told the committee that these were cars not luxury vehicles.

The Convener of the PAC Subcommittee, Noor Alam Khan, remarked that the prime minister directives of banning the purchase of the cars by ministries and division were being violated. He said the prime minister imposed ban on purchase of vehicles due to austerity drive, but this directive was being violated. The Ogra officials said that these vehicles were not used for personal use.

The convener said the bureaucrats were availing not only the monetisation policy but also using the official vehicles. “The details of those officials who were availing the monetisation policy and also officials vehicles,” he directed.

The officials of the Cabinet Division told the committee that they did not have the details of it.

Subcommittee Chairman Noor Alam Khan directed the PAC secretariat to seek the details of those officials from all the ministries and division who were using the official vehicle despite getting the benefits under the monetisation policy.