- Committee asks how an officer was promoted and posted elsewhere while his inquiry was underway
Officials from Ministry of Housing and Works had a tough day when members of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) grilled them for their failure to submit answers on multiple counts.
Syed Khursheed Shah and members of the committee lost their cool when audit paras of bid tampering to enhance the offered rate by two executive engineers of PWD came under scrutiny.
The officials, Executive Engineer C.C.D II and Executive Engineer C.C.D II, tampered the original bids, which caused a total loss of 73 million rupees to the public exchequer. When the matter came to committee’s knowledge back in September, 2016, it directed the ministry to inquire the matter and fix responsibility in light of audit paras.
However, Executive Engineer C.C.D II, who was involved and under investigation was promoted and posted to a different department. The chairman and members ordered the concerned official to be demoted immediately.
Chairman PAC, Khursheed Shah said that he feels ashamed that such a corrupt official was promoted. ‘I will write to the prime minister and the speaker that such corrupt practices cannot go on any longer,’ he remarked.
The committee told the Housing secretary that the whole ministry and departments under it have failed on accountability criteria.
‘Corruption is in full swing in this ministry, we are issuing you last warning; prepare in two weeks time and come back before the committee for the answers,’ remarked Khurshid Shah.
Pakistan Tehrik-e- Insaf’s (PTI) Arif Alvi said ministry of Housing would have won a gold medal in corruption competition.
The committee asked that in next hearing ministry should bring along a list of its cases under investigation in NAB and FIA.
After secretary Housing’s presentation on performance of his department, Khurshid Shah directed DG NAB to appear before the committee during the next hearing and brief it on the issue and the progress of investigations.
The members of the committee questioned the policy of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) to give plots to even those officers whose departments have their own housing societies. The FGEHF was directed to award plots of the officials whose departments do not have any such housing schemes.
The members strongly disapproved the present practice that is based on nepotism.