Rs1,200b irregularities in corona relief: PAC seeks audit report from finance ministry, accounts committee

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Thursday sought an audit report from the finance ministry and the National Accounts Committee, which had identified serious irregularities in coronavirus relief package.

The PAC held its meeting with its Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain in the chair and examined the audit para related to Ministry of Water resources with regard to Wapda for the year 2019-20, as well as the relief package on coronavirus. It sought the audit report of over Rs1,200 billion corona relief package from the finance ministry and the National Accounts Committee.

Auditor General for Pakistan Javed Jehangir told the committee that the government had announced a relief package of Rs1,200 billion to combat corona and till June 30, 2020, Rs354 billion had been released and audited. “I cannot give a briefing on the contents of the audit report at the moment,” he said. The PAC chairman said it seemed the finance ministry had been withholding the report.

Examining the para related to irregularities in Dasu Dam, the audit officials told the committee that Wapda had released Rs4.5 billion to the contractor in advance, though land had not been acquired for the project yet.

The secretary, Ministry of Water and Resources, told the committee that the payment had to be made to the contractor. PAC Member Syed Naveed Qamar asked that when the land was not acquired then how the contractor could starts work. The Secretary replied that the acquiring of the land was not easy. The Audit officials told the committee that undue benefit was given to the contractor in Dasu hydropower project and Rs4.5 billion were released to him under the head of mobilisation advance, but the contractor delayed starting the work.

Rana Tanveer remarked that then we should also leave politics and become a contractor. “We refer this matter to the FIA,” he said. PAC member Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel remarked that mobilisation advance is a bribe and commission and whosever did it should be handcuffed. The PAC expressed its strong annoyance for not giving satisfactory replies on Dasu Dam and directed the secretary of Ministry of Water Resources to bring complete details of the project.