Senate body seek action against Rs356 million corruption in USC

The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production Thursday sought action against the employees of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Balochistan region involved in corruption and embezzlement of Rs356 million.

The committee meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah in Parliament House.

Chairman committee directed the USC to follow the corruption cases that were pending in Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The committee was informed by the USC Managing Director Waseem Mukhtar Chaudhry that USC had filed cases in every region against the employees, who were involved in corruption and embezzlement.

He said, “We are committed to maintaining transparency and accountability in the institution, and would provide quality items to the customers.”

He informed the committee that priority of the USC would be to evolve an institutional mechanism for quality control of the items, adding that professionally qualified firms would also be engaged for a quality test of items.

USC MD said that his organisation was conducting training for its employees aiming at the provision of quality items to the customers.

Waseem said that Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) had issued a show cause notice to USC over issues of quality, and the matter was subjudice.

Regarding the agenda of computerising the corporation’s top 1000 stores and all the warehouses, he informed that project would be made operational soon for the modernisation of the system.

Senators Ilyas Ahmed Bilour, Kalsoom Perveen, Taj Haider, Malik Najmul Hassan and officials from Ministry of Industries and Production attended the meeting.