A sub-committee of the PAC sought an explanation from MoST on the non-utilization of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) funds amounting to more than Rs340 mm.
A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee sought an explanation from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on the non-utilization of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) funds amounting to more than Rs340 million by the Pakistan Science Foundation.
The sub-committee of Public Accounts Committee also directed the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) to provide the record to the FIA about audit objections related to the construction of the office building of the ministry. The meeting of the sub-committee was presided over by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in which audit objections of the Ministry of Science and Technology for the fiscal year 2017-18 and 2018-19 were examined.
On the directions of the sub-committee for providing the record of the construction of the building of the ministry, officials of the ministry the ministry had provided the FIA with record of 16,000 pages. Mushahid Hussain directed that a grade 20 officer of the ministry should be appointed the focal person on the matter. The audit officials informed the committee about the non-utilization of PSDP funds by the Pakistan Science Foundation.
Senator Shibli Faraz called for summoning the secretary of the Establishment Division and said the Ministry of Science and Technology should be the number one ministry and tell the committee about the reasons why it had happened. “We want to solve this problem, this ministry is the largest ministry in terms of institutions and buildings,” he said. Mushahid Hussain said asked for an explanation on the matter within 15 days.
The functions of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have been defined in Rule 203 of the rules ibid which states that the Committee shall examine the accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by the Assembly for the expenditure of the Government, the annual finance accounts of the Government, the report of the Auditor-General of Pakistan and such other matters as the Minister for Finance may refer to it. The Assembly or the Speaker may also remit to the Standing Committee any subject or matter with which it is concerned.
Originally published at The News