The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday strongly criticized the Ministry of Planning over widespread financial mismanagement, delayed development projects, and unutilized funds.
During a review of the Planning Division’s audit report for FY2023-24, PAC expressed concern over an additional Rs. 39 billion in expenditure linked to flood relief, the 2022 census, and emergency reallocation of World Bank funding.
Lawmakers questioned the Ministry’s spending priorities and its failure to initiate an electricity supply plan for 400 unserved villages despite surplus national generation capacity.
PAC also scrutinized unutilized development grants for FY2022-23. Of the Rs. 222.3 million that remained unused, over Rs. 99.5 million had been earmarked for a Prime Ministerial event that was later postponed.
PAC member Sanaullah Mastikhel demanded full disclosure of salaries and perks for MPs, Grade 22 officers, military officers, and Supreme Court judges.
Separately, the committee flagged a Rs. 3.2 billion irregularity in steel procurement by the National Logistics Cell (NLC).
Audit officials reported that NLC violated procurement rules by signing a three-year contract with Faizan Steel and increasing rates from Rs. 108,000 to Rs. 298,000 per ton without following Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) protocols. The issue was referred to the Departmental Accounts Committee.
PAC also investigated the Bhara Kahu Bypass project, where the CDA awarded a Rs. 6.51 billion contract to NLC without a tender under emergency grounds. Due to delays, scope expansion, and the absence of a cost variation clause, the project cost escalated to Rs. 8.82 billion.
PAC held NLC and its joint venture partner NESPAK responsible for the overruns and referred the case to a subcommittee for further action.
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