PAC panel suggests CDA restructuring

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: The Sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Tuesday expressed reservations about the performance of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and recommended its restructuring, as it had turned into what it called a hub of corruption.

Attending the committee meeting, Chairman CDA Maroof Afzal also admitted to the dismal performance of the authority and prevalence of corruption. He however informed the committee that scanning had started in the authority.

“There are 70 directorates and 110 directors. Since 13,000 employees are working in the CDA, it is a difficult task to keep an eye on every employee, but now we have started the scanning to make the record safe and protect,” Afzal told the meeting chaired by Shafqat Mehmood.

The meeting was discussing the pending audit paras related to the Capital Development Authority for the financial year 1998-99. The auditor told the committee that terrorists had damaged the tourist building in Mala Jabba that collapsed after the Swat operation.

The committee was told that a case of Rs110 million corruption had been pending with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the last four years. A contract was given to Sadaat Enterprises to lay down a pipeline from Korang River to Sector H/11. However after serious objections the case was sent to the NAB.

The audit official told the committee that charges were framed against four persons and in 2010 a NAB court in its verdict punished three persons and awarded 10-year imprisonment and Rs20,000 fine while one person proved not guilty.

The audit official told the committee that the three persons who were proved guilty secured bail from a court. The NAB filed an appeal with the Lahore High Court against the verdict which has been pending with the court since 2010.

The committee directed the NAB to follow the case and seek a fresh date from the court.Maroof Afzal told the committee that the shuttle service plying in the Diplomatic Enclave could not be terminated as the people did not have any other facility to visit the embassies.“We have written a letter to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) requesting that the current contract be allowed to continue for the time being. The new tenders will be floated soon.”