PAC forms body to probe irregularities

PESHAWAR (APP): KP Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken strong notice of irregularities, corruption and nepotism in award of contracts by Irrigation department during the year 2015-16 and formed sub-committee to identify the officials responsible and submit report within two-week.
The committee meeting chaired by Acting Chairman MPA Idress Khan discussed audit paras of Irrigation department for the year 2015-16 and audit paras of Industries department for the year 2014-15.
During the meeting, the committee came to know that the Irrigation department paid an additional amount of Rs 108 million to a contractor other than the spent amount of Rs 708 million for construction of embankments of Peshawar Canal Irrigation division.
The committee expressed concern over payment of additional money to the contractor without holding the departmental accounts committee meeting and hiding the matter by the Irrigation department, award of the contract to blue-eyed and award of contract without carrying out necessary laboratory tests.
The PAC formed a sub-committee to probe the whole matters and identify the official responsible for irregularities, corruption and nepotism and submit its report within three-week.
The committee kept the audit paras of the Irrigation department for the year 2015-16 unsettled till the report of the sub-committee. It also asked the Irrigation department to submit a comprehensive report on non-functional tube-well in Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi and DI Khan districts and absence of operators.
Meanwhile, the PAC discussed the audit para of the Industries department and directed to bring transparency in award of grant to the needy businessmen and shun unnecessary delay in release of grants.
The committee meeting was attended by MPAs Dr Asia Asad and Salahuddin Khan, officials of Audit, Finance, Law departments and PAC Cell.