Lahore (HRNW)- An audit report presented during a meeting of Public Accounts Committee-I (PAC-I) of the Punjab Assembly revealed the alleged purchase of substandard materials at inflated prices and highlighted financial irregularities in development works.
The meeting, chaired by PAC-I Chairperson Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain Chhichar, was attended by officials of the Punjab Assembly and various government departments.
The committee reviewed audit reports of several departments, including the Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department and its subsidiary, WASA.
During the proceedings, the Director General of WASA was questioned over additional payments allegedly made due to over-measurement of manholes in departmental projects.
Chairman Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain Chhichar observed that public funds were being wasted because of shortcomings in the execution and supervision of WASA projects.
In response, the DG WASA stated that project costs had increased because contractors failed to complete the work within the stipulated timeframe. The committee chairman remarked that it was the department’s responsibility to ensure projects were completed according to the conditions and timelines specified in the tenders.
The committee directed the Finance Department to conduct an inquiry into the reported irregularities and submit a detailed report within two days.
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