NA Secretariat: Air ticket records of lawmakers sought
Rs253m was released to PIA on account of air tickets issued to MNAs against privileges without proper documentation.
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Secretariat has sought a record of tickets issued to federal lawmakers by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) during the last three years.
Without proper documentation, the NA Secretariat had released Rs253 million to PIA on account of air tickets issued to MNAs against their privileges.
Official records stated that the NA Secretariat had no record of actual utilised air tickets, as neither the MNAs returned the used tickets to the secretariat nor the PIA provided the details.
Apparently, no rules were followed, raising several questions that may be referred to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the near future.
According to NA’s rules, “A parliamentarian in pursuance of sub-section 2 (A) of section 10 (salaries and allowances) Act 1974, is entitled to 15 business class open return air tickets from the airport nearest to his/her constituency to Islamabad during the financial year.”
However, a majority of members were issued air tickets without any documentation. According to official data gathered by The Express Tribune, as many as 226 MNAs were issued (each one of them) five open return air tickets and one single – worth Rs28 million – from July 2007 to November 2007. Likewise, 269 MNAs were issued four open return tickets worth Rs30 million from March 17, 2008 to June 30, 2008, while seven open return tickets worth Rs50 million were issued to 281 MNAs from July 1, 2008 to December, 2008.
Similarly, eight open return air tickets worth Rs47.3 million were issued to 230 MNAs from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009, whereas 342 MNAs were issued 15 open return air tickets worth Rs98 million from July 2009 to June 30, 2010.
“We have written to PIA regarding the matter, seeking detailed records of air tickets issued to MNAs during the last three years,” said NA Secretariat Spokesperson Anjum Mughal. “As soon as PIA sends the details we will submit them to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP),” he added. The AGP, in its latest report, had pointed out that PIA had issued air tickets on coupon papers to MNAs and no office record is available with the organisation to check their use by the members, whereas a number of air tickets are available on PIA’s invoice/records.
Official data further stated that some MNAs surrendered their tickets to the NA Secretariat, which were passed on to PIA for an adjustment of the amount.
The payment of invoices – totalling Rs28 million – was made to PIA after the deduction against unused air tickets of Rs147 million in 2007.
PIA received payment for an invoice amounting to Rs30 million, while the payment made to it after deduction against unused air tickets was Rs50 million in 2008. An invoice of Rs47.3 million was paid to PIA after the deduction against unused air tickets of Rs46 million in 2009.
Officials said that the AGP may refer the matter to the PAC as they had already maintained that the management failed to frame a proper mechanism to reconcile the expenditure actually charged to government accounts.
However, they maintained that the case for the issuance of payment to PIA in lieu of air tickets and travel vouchers to the MNAs was under submission to the higher authority. They also revealed that around 22 former MNAs have been requested to return liabilities of Rs8.2 million that have been outstanding for years.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2011.
The National Assembly Secretariat has sought a record of tickets issued to federal lawmakers by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) during the last three years.
Without proper documentation, the NA Secretariat had released Rs253 million to PIA on account of air tickets issued to MNAs against their privileges.
Official records stated that the NA Secretariat had no record of actual utilised air tickets, as neither the MNAs returned the used tickets to the secretariat nor the PIA provided the details.
Apparently, no rules were followed, raising several questions that may be referred to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the near future.
According to NA’s rules, “A parliamentarian in pursuance of sub-section 2 (A) of section 10 (salaries and allowances) Act 1974, is entitled to 15 business class open return air tickets from the airport nearest to his/her constituency to Islamabad during the financial year.”
However, a majority of members were issued air tickets without any documentation. According to official data gathered by The Express Tribune, as many as 226 MNAs were issued (each one of them) five open return air tickets and one single – worth Rs28 million – from July 2007 to November 2007. Likewise, 269 MNAs were issued four open return tickets worth Rs30 million from March 17, 2008 to June 30, 2008, while seven open return tickets worth Rs50 million were issued to 281 MNAs from July 1, 2008 to December, 2008.
Similarly, eight open return air tickets worth Rs47.3 million were issued to 230 MNAs from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009, whereas 342 MNAs were issued 15 open return air tickets worth Rs98 million from July 2009 to June 30, 2010.
“We have written to PIA regarding the matter, seeking detailed records of air tickets issued to MNAs during the last three years,” said NA Secretariat Spokesperson Anjum Mughal. “As soon as PIA sends the details we will submit them to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP),” he added. The AGP, in its latest report, had pointed out that PIA had issued air tickets on coupon papers to MNAs and no office record is available with the organisation to check their use by the members, whereas a number of air tickets are available on PIA’s invoice/records.
Official data further stated that some MNAs surrendered their tickets to the NA Secretariat, which were passed on to PIA for an adjustment of the amount.
The payment of invoices – totalling Rs28 million – was made to PIA after the deduction against unused air tickets of Rs147 million in 2007.
PIA received payment for an invoice amounting to Rs30 million, while the payment made to it after deduction against unused air tickets was Rs50 million in 2008. An invoice of Rs47.3 million was paid to PIA after the deduction against unused air tickets of Rs46 million in 2009.
Officials said that the AGP may refer the matter to the PAC as they had already maintained that the management failed to frame a proper mechanism to reconcile the expenditure actually charged to government accounts.
However, they maintained that the case for the issuance of payment to PIA in lieu of air tickets and travel vouchers to the MNAs was under submission to the higher authority. They also revealed that around 22 former MNAs have been requested to return liabilities of Rs8.2 million that have been outstanding for years.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2011.