PAC traces financial irregularities worth millions in funds

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday revealed that an amount of Rs 203 million was allegedly embezzled from the funds allocated for the four development projects in 2017-18.

The alleged financial irregularities worth millions were exposed in the meeting of PAC’s sub-committee chaired by convenor Ghulam Mustafa Shah.

The participants reviewed the grants allocated for development projects in 2016-17 and 2017-18 under the Law and Justice Division. During the review, the meeting participants found that an amount of Rs 203 million was missing from the grants received for four projects in 2017-18. The sub-committee ordered a fact-finding inquiry into the matter within a month.

The audit authorities reported that it was a development grant, and 27 percent of the grant was lapsed, adding that the fact-finding inquiry should be done in all development projects.

Meanwhile, the sub-committee expressed concerns over not obtaining approval for various supplementary grants from the Parliament. The audit authorities revealed that a supplementary grant of Rs 35 million was taken but not approved through Parliament.

Committee member Syed Hussain Tariq said that supplementary grants are not being regularized, and it is a serious matter that funds are being used without approval. The sub-committee ordered to address audit concerns within a month and directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to schedule regular Public Accounts Committee meetings every month. (NNI)