The Pakistan Steel Mills’ (PSM) officials on Thursday told a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee that they wasted Rs 500 million from GP funds.
A meeting of PAC, chaired by Sardar Ashiq Hussain Gopang, reviewed auditory objections of PSM, ordering that this amount, embezzled during 2009-2010 should be refunded within one year in installments, while pin-pointing those guilty of this anomaly.
Awami Muslim League lawmaker Sheikh Rashid Ahmed recommended the body to forward the issue to the National Accountability Bureau, but PTI legislator Arif Alvi opposed the notion, stressing for further investigation.
During the session, Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research Seerat Asghar refused to answer or comment over auditory objections of ministers of the Food Ministry, as the ministry had already been devolved to provinces.
The committee decided to take the issue to the Law Ministry and Cabinet Division, while auditory authorities claimed of Rs 100 million plus worth of embezzlements during 2009-2010.
During the proceedings, the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation Ltd (PASSCO) informed the committee that the wheat production was far better this time, while the current target for wheat output has been put at 25,000,000 tonnes; of which PASSCO would purchase 1.6 million tonnes.
Serious irregularities in PASSCO affairs were also highlighted, including loss of Rs 41 crore which were handed by the committee to FIA for investigations, to be completed within a three-month span.
