Summary The PAC will seek permission of Speaker National Assembly for live telecast of its proceedings.
ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee met here Thursday under its chairman Nadim Afzal Chan to review the audit observations in respect of accounts of ministry of housing, cabinet division and its subordinate departments.
Committee was told that Pakistan Housing Authority built a colony for government employees at some distance from Quetta but the employees refused to settle therein and the colony was occupied by Balochistan Constabulary.
The committee summoned Chief Secretary Balochistan and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Secretariat in the next meeting in this regard besides issuing directives that the matter be resolved within a month.
The committee was also told that an officer of IB had occupied the home owned by a subsidiary of ministry of housing in Quetta. Committee directed the secretary ministry to sort out the matter within 10 days.
Committee was informed that people had illegally occupied government residences and petrol pumps in Karachi. Four petrol pumps were given on lease by previous government and monthly rent was fixed at Rs 70000. The rent has not been recovered since the last five years.
The committee was told that the people living in government residences have not paid the rent from 2001 to 2005 and they did so at the behest of the then minister for housing.
The committee directed the ministry to ensure recovery of the rent from the defaulters on payment of rent.
Auditor General of Pakistan told the committee that he came to know through a report in a TV program telecast last night that railway minister uses 51 vehicles. He told that he had issued directives to his department to probe into the matter.
Chairman PAC directed the secretariat that a letter be written to NA speaker for seeking permission to have committee proceedings telecast live from TV so that the people could come to know what the bureaucracy is doing.
