Public Accounts Committee: End farmlands for generals, plots for bureaucrats

Parliamentary watchdog directs govt to end double plot policy.

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed the defence ministry on Wednesday to stop allotting agricultural lands to army generals and other military officials. It also directed the government to annul the policy of handing out two plots to grade-22 bureaucrats and Supreme Court judges.

However, PAC Chairman Nadeem Afzal Chan stated that the committee had no objection to the allotment of agricultural lands to widows, and martyrs’ families.

Chan also endorsed the General Headquarters’ policy of providing residences to its forces, and suggested that the government follow the same model for bureaucrats.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief General Asim Saleem Bajwa was not available for comments on the matter.

While stating that second plots will no longer be allotted to high-ranking bureaucrats, Chan said that the policy “was initiated to give benefits to so-called nobles of society, and is tantamount to usurping the rights of other deserving officials.” He added that providing second plots was also in violation of those articles of the Constitution which promise equality and non-discrimination.

In July 2006, former premier Shaukat Aziz had approved a package for grade-22 officers, which included a second plot, 20% special pay in addition to their normal salary and a domestic servant. This was extended to judges in 2008. So far, 236 plots had been allotted to bureaucrats and 21 apex court judges under this policy.

The PAC also ordered the cancellation of all those allotments where plots had originally been provided in newly established sectors in Islamabad, but the recipients had had them transferred to high-value sectors by using contacts. In addition, Chan called for an inquiry against those bureaucrats who submitted false affidavits for getting second plots. The committee also ordered that the provision of plots to bureaucrats who serve in Capital Development Authority on deputation be stopped.

At the last PAC meeting, Chan said Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had personally assured him that all PAC directives aimed at bringing an end to exploitation by the ‘influential classes’ would be implemented.



The parliamentary watchdog also expressed displeasure over the Sindh chief secretary and housing department secretary not complying with PAC directives to provide a list of federal government employees who had obtained plots in the province.

At the same time, the PAC appreciated the Balochistan administration for providing the necessary details as well as the Khyber-Pakthunkhwa administration for not practicing any policy of allotting plots to bureaucrats.

The decision to cancel the second plot policy was fiercely challenged by Auditor-General of Pakistan Akhtar Buland Rana, who interrupted Chan to provide a spirited defence of the rule. Rana said that providing second plots was an incentive to reward the good work carried out by bureaucrats.

SC registrar issue

The auditor-general, however, had to face questioning on another account – Rana had earlier stated that an audit of the Supreme Court was carried out regularly. Chan said any discussion on the issue which was not taking place before the PAC held no meaning. He asked the auditor general to present the minutes of all meetings held by Departmental Accounts Committees (DACs) to the PAC.

Earlier, the PAC chairman had said it was unclear if any DAC meetings had been held to discuss the issue of scrutinising the apex court’s accounts. The Supreme Court registrar has refused to appear before the accountability body, after which the PAC referred the matter to the National Assembly for further action.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2012.