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Business Recorder
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Use of ministry's building: Senate panel briefed about non-payment of rent by NAB
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Housing and Works was briefed on Tuesday about the non-payment of rent since March 2021 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the use of a building of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Federal Lodges, Wafaqi Colony, Dhana Singh Wala, Lahore. It was revealed that a total of Rs480 million outstanding has not yet been paid by the NAB to the ministry, and the building has still not been vacated. It was further informed that the decision on the matter is pending with the Prime Minister's Office. The committee found that no agreement had been signed between the two departments. The chairman expressed serious displeasure over the negligence of the Ministry of Housing and Works. Senator Saifullah Abro urged departments to discourage such practices and to maintain clear documentation when signing agreements. The chairman directed both departments to settle the matter within one month, warning that if they fail to implement the committee's decision, the officers involved in the negligence will be summoned and punished. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, convened Tuesday to identify the reasons for delays in CDA and FGEHA projects, and the unauthorised utilisation of government accommodations by other departments without approval or payment of rent. The chairman of the committee commended the input of all committee members regarding the vacation of illegally possessed accommodations of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, by the Punjab Police. He informed that the Punjab Police had illegally occupied the said accommodations since 1990 and had never paid a single penny in lieu of using them. Punjab Police submitted the compliance report over the directions passed by the committee and upon the directions of the committee, the Punjab Police paid Rs1.6 million in rent, up to the year 2024 and assured the committee that the remaining rent would be paid in the upcoming financial year. While briefing on the progress of the construction of Islamabad Jail, the chairman CDA informed that the project was handed over by PWD to CDA with a revised cost of Rs7.4 billion on 26-06-2024. In Phase I, the construction of the Admin Block and boundary wall has been completed up to 98 percent, and roads and infrastructure up to 75 percent. He added that delays in funding from the Ministry of Planning and Development caused the project's delay. The committee expressed concern over the delay in fund disbursement by the Ministry of Finance and other concerned authorities and directed that the ministries of Planning and Development and Finance be summoned to brief the committee on the delay in releasing funds to the Ministry of Interior for CDA projects. The chairman, upon the request of the chairman CDA, recommended for hiring the human resources required to operate the jail. On the issue of malfunctioning of lifts in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building, the chairman CDA stated that only one out of five lifts was operational. Another lift had been repaired, but three were still not working. However, CDA has urgently issued a tender notice of Rs120 million for the repair of the three lifts. The Committee was informed that in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building and other government offices, some lifts are specifically reserved for VIPs/senior officers, and public or government employees are not allowed to use them. The committee took serious notice of this VIP culture in government buildings and directed CDA to eliminate such practices and ensure all lifts are accessible to the general public. The joint secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, briefed the committee on the seniority list for the allotment of government accommodations to federal employees. He informed the committee that the ministry has a backlog of 26,000 applications, while there are only 17,000 houses available in Islamabad. The committee found the briefing insufficient and directed the ministry to provide a list of illegal allotments and the names of officers involved in such unlawful practices. The committee also ordered the discontinuation of all functions of the Restoration Committee and directed the ministry to submit a report at the next committee meeting. The committee also noted that FGEHA is not awarding tenders uniformly to firms, is not seriously pursuing its projects, and has failed to deliver completed projects to end users. Senator Saifullah Abro criticized the rising costs of FGEHA projects caused by delays on their part, with the burden passed on to the end users. The committee directed FGEHA to submit a list of all ongoing projects, including complete details and associated costs. The meeting was attended by senators, Bilal Ahmed Khan, Saifullah Abro, Husna Bano, Khalida Ateeb, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, and HidayatUllah Khan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
26-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
CDA invites PAC's ire over illegal auctions
A shocking revelation emerged in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting regarding the illegal auction of 23 plots worth Rs37 billion. Committee member Qasim Noon criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA), calling it "the most corrupt institution" with corruption ongoing for years without any accountability. The PAC also ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club. During the meeting, CDA's Member Finance admitted that they had not prepared the financial statements, stating that the 2023-2024 financial statement was ready and would be submitted soon. Member Committee Syed Hussain Tariq expressed concerns, saying, "This is not the proper way." The CDA Chairman assured that future statements would be prepared on time, while the Interior Secretary promised to prevent such issues in the future. Committee member Naveed Qamar raised concerns, emphasising that someone should be held accountable, and suggested that the audit should look into this matter. Audit officials informed that CDA's operations are complex. The Interior Secretary requested two months to resolve the issues, but the CDA Chairman stated that it would take six months to prepare the financial statements. The PAC Chairman agreed, instructing the CDA to submit all financial statements within six months. Qasim Noon reiterated his criticism, describing CDA as the "most corrupt institution" with no one holding them accountable for years. The committee instructed that the issue of the non-transparent auction be referred to the DAC. The PAC also reviewed an audit objection regarding the Gun and Country Club's failure to deposit an additional Rs480 million into the Sports Endowment Fund account. Committee member Hussain Tariq, commented that the institution had never conducted a proper audit. "They were never willing to conduct an audit. How much money did they make and spend over five years?" The PAC Chairman ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club and instructed that a report be submitted within a month. The PAC also discussed audit objections related to the G-B Scouts, particularly the irregular purchase of medical supplies worth over Rs53 million. The committee expressed frustration over the absence of the Director General (DG) and deferred the discussion until his presence. The DG of the Sindh Rangers also failed to attend, prompting the PAC to defer the audit of Sindh Rangers. Regarding the absence of the IG FC in the PAC meeting, the PAC was informed that the IG was engaged in operations due to deteriorating security conditions in the province. This sparked an exchange of remarks among committee members. Rana Qasim pointed out, "The country is in a state of war," while Naveed Qamar humorously suggested, "If the country is at war, should we dissolve the PAC?" Finally, the PAC instructed that all audit paras related to the FC be consolidated and directed recovery actions to be taken.
Express Tribune
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P cabinet briefed on law and order in Kurram
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet on Monday was briefed on the latest situation in the Kurram tribal district of the province. The 24th meeting of the provincial cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur wherein various key matters were discussed. Cabinet members, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, additional chief secretaries, senior member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries and the advocate general attended the meeting. The cabinet was briefed in detail about the implementation of government decisions aimed at ensuring sustainable peace in Kurram. It was informed that since October last year, 189 people had lost their lives in various incidents of unrest in Kurram. However, due to the continuous efforts of the provincial government, a peace agreement had been signed to restore peace and normalcy in the region. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential goods to the people of the restive district, nine convoys comprising 718 vehicles have so far been sent to Kurram leaving no space for the shortage of essential commodities in the area. It was further revealed that the provincial government had launched a helicopter service to and from Kurram on the direction of the Chief Minister. So far, 153 flights have been carried out using two helicopters that provided air transport facility to approximately 4,000 people. Besides this, 19,000 kilograms of essential medicines have been supplied to Kurram to cater to the medical needs of the patients. It was further revealed that, in line with the Cabinet's decision and the peace agreement, the demolition of illegal bunkers in Kurram was ongoing and 151 bunkers had been dismantled to date. The deadline for the complete removal of all bunkers and for de-weaponisation has been set for March 23. The cabinet also accorded approval for Rs98.3 million to procure explosives for dismantling the remaining illegal bunkers. The meeting also approved the release of 1,645 MT of PASSCO imported wheat lying in Kurram to the general public in the area. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also directed the establishment of security posts at locations from where attacks from long distances could be effectively monitored and countered to secure the lives and properties of the people on a permanent basis. The cabinet also reviewed plans for the restoration of the damaged infrastructure in Kurram. The briefing indicated that the rehabilitation of the destroyed Bagan Bazaar is estimated to cost Rs480 million and that work on the project would commence soon. The cabinet also approved a one-time 5-year relaxation of age and four attempts for PMS candidates due to the fact that the competitive examination had not been conducted for the last so many years. It was also directed that, in future, such a competitive examination should be conducted on an annual basis like the CSS. The cabinet also approved the creation of various posts for the effective utilization of the already installed tube-wells of the Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) irrigation circle.
