Ministries directed to monitor funds

ISLAMABAD: A special panel of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Friday directed all the ministries and divisions to ensure a follow up of the funds provided to NGOs from the national exchequer in order to monitor their proper and transparent implementation.

The meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Riaz Hussain Pirzada reviewed the audit reports of the ministry of special education and social welfare, statistics division and women development and youth affairs for the audit years 1994-95 and 1997-98.

The chairman said that NGOs that do not follow instructions will be black listed and no further funds will be provided to them.  Reviewing the audit report of the special education and social welfare ministries, the audit informed the committee that in the Directorate General Special Education (DGSE), Rs390, 000 were misused on an un-authorized purchase of a car for the Minister of State out of the provisions for a mini bus for physically handicapped children.

It was informed that instead of purchasing a mini bus, the authority purchased a Mitsubishi Lancer 1300 CC car for the use of the minister of state. The meeting was further briefed about the unauthorized expenditure of Rs539, 025 to meet the recurring expenditure of DGSE office out of the budget provisions of the development schemes. The DGSE not only violated the provisions of DFRs and the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan – under which separate grants are authenticated for separate purposes – but also deprived the handicapped of their legitimate right.

The committee inquired about the details of the two cases from the department and gave two weeks to submit their report.

Reviewing the audit accounts of statistics division, the audit informed the committee that there were savings of Rs200.636 million during the financial year 1994-95. The audit objected that the huge amount remained logged for a longtime which must be surrendered well in time.

The officials of the division said that most of the times huge portions are being allocated every year for the purpose of carrying a census in the country but is cancelled every time due to unavoidable circumstances.

The statistics division secretary also informed the committee that they have requested the government to carry out a census in 2011 and the request has been forwarded to Council of Common Interest (CCI) as after the 18th amendment, it is now a provincial subject.

The audit accounts of Ministry of Women Development and Youth Affairs for the audit year 1994-95 were also discussed and settled by the Special Committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2010.