ISLAMABAD: An audit official from the Auditor General of Pakistan Thursday told the sub-committee of Public Accounts Committee that the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) had not taken possession of land even after making full payment in 2009, terming the matter a serious lapse in governance and oversight.
The development came to the fore during a meeting of the PAC sub-committee, chaired by Shahida Akhtar Ali, which reviewed audit objections pertaining to the Ministry of National Food Security for the fiscal years 2010-11 and 2013-14.
The secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security informed the committee that the land in Rajanpur was under illegal occupation and that efforts were under way to reclaim it. Officials confirmed that illegal occupants continued to hold the land.
Senator Bilal Mandokhail questioned why payment was made without securing possession. PTB officials replied that the land was purchased at a relatively low cost, stating that 50 acres were acquired for Rs8.4 million. The committee decided to write to the Punjab government to seek its intervention. The sub-committee also reviewed audit objections related to the Ministry of Health for the same fiscal years. Ms Shahida Akhtar Ali raised concerns over the spread of seasonal influenza, asking what measures were being taken amid increasing complaints about services at Polyclinic and PIMS hospitals. Health ministry officials said influenza vaccines were developed annually and that two virus strains were currently circulating, with higher prevalence in the northern parts of the country. They added that air quality in Islamabad at times matched that of Lahore and that a new vaccine was awaited. Citizens were advised to wear masks when going outdoors. Shahida Akhtar Ali noted that virus variants change every year and remarked that research findings often arrive after the situation has already worsened.
During the meeting, Ministry of National Food Security officials also disclosed that federal and provincial governments collectively owed Rs256 billion to the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO). Of this amount, Rs137 billion is payable by provincial governments. Officials said the federal government was formulating a recovery plan and expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved within the current year. The committee directed the authorities to submit a progress report on the recovery of dues within two weeks.
