PAC directs inquiry into irregular appointments in OGRA

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday directed the Secretary Cabinet Raja Hassan Abbas to initiate inquiry on irregular appointments of 20 contract employees including a consultant in Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and submit report within four weeks.

The meeting of the PAC was held under the Chairmanship of Syed Khursheed Shah and reviewed the audit paras of the Cabinet Division for the fiscal year of 2013-14. During the meeting Director General Audit for OGRA informed the committee that 20 employees were appointed in 2011-12 on contract basis in different categories during ban period without press advertisement. Thus the payment of Rs 3.11 million on account of pay and allowances made to these employees was held irregular he added. He said that OGRA also released payment of Rs 1.3 million to a consultant who was appointed against the rules and regulations.

To this Chairman PAC directed the Secretary to submit report about the legal powers of the OGRA in the next meeting of the PAC.Discussing about the audit para pertaining to the unjustified transfer of losses to consumers due to revision of benchmarks for UFG losses of Rs 2.8 billion, the Chairman PAC remarked that the SNGPL needs to improve its efficiency instead of shifting financial losses burden on the consumers.

He also summoned the Managing Directors of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to appear before the committee and apprise about their performance.

During the meeting it was revealed by the DG Audit that OGRA did not pay compensation money to the affectees of a tragic LPG cylinder explosion took place on May 3 2005 at Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore.

He said that a company namely Anoud Gas was found responsible for the incident and it was decided by the Authority that compensation money will be paid to the families of dead people as well as injured.

OGRA only paid Rs 300,000 to the families of dead persons and Rs 25,000 to injured while rest of the money was transferred to the accounts of the authority.To this Chairman OGRA Saeed Ahmed Khan said that the Authority had written a letter to the Deputy Commissioner for paying compensation money but could not get succession certificates from him.

Syed Khursheed Shah expressed displeasure over nonpayment of compensation money to the affectees and sought report within three days.