ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed the Secretary Cabinet and Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday to hold an inquiry against the officials involved in awarding the contract to Diplomatic Shuttle Services to the contractor on a nominal rent. After the report of inquiry, the committee will decide to refer the matter either to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation, said Shafqat Mahmood as he chaired the meeting of the sub-committee, held to review the audit paras of Capital Administration and Development Division for fiscal years of 2010-11.
During the meeting, an audit official told the committee that the CDA had awarded the contract of Diplomatic Shuttle Services to a contractor at a cost of Rs 44,444 per anum and had also leased 4.5 acres of land. He said that the CDA did not implement PAC’s earlier directions to the CDA, whereby the institution was asked to initiate fresh bidding to ensure a transparent contract award for the Diplomatic Shuttle Services in accordance with PPRA rules. He further stated that PAC had also sought a report from NAB, questioning on what grounds the Bureau had cleared the case of M/S Diplomatic Services. PAC had also issued orders to seal the CDA’s Record Room and directed both NAB and FIA to probe the missing files case. He informed the committee that CDA had failed to produce the original record of this contract file to the audit.
Upon hearing all these complaints, the chairman of the committee, Shafqat Mehmood, directed the Chairman CDA to register an FIR of the missing file with the FIA, so that the culprits can be immediately convicted. He also directed the NAB officials to submit their reports on what grounds this faulty contract file was closed or cleared in the next meeting. CDA was also directed to get the amount recovered from the contractor. The sub-committee added that steps should be taken to end the stay order taken by the contractor, who was awarded the contract by the CDA in 2008 for launching a visa shuttle service.
The Director of Municipal Administration remarked that the CDA had invited fresh bids for awarding the contract but the petitioner had gotten himself a stay of dispossession from the court. Upon this, Mahmood asked why CDA had failed to vacate the land during the gap of two months. Director Legal Wing responded to the question and said that the CDA chairman was informed in this regard but he requested for dialogue with the contractor and the authority could not take any step due to chairman’s stance. Mahmood said that the chairman of the authority is responsible for negligence.
Mian Abdul Manan Member of the committee asked the Director to submit his stance in writing with regard to this contract to them at the next meeting. The Secretary Cabinet informed the committee that several Show Cause Notices have also been issued to the Board Members, who had approved this contract, which had caused a loss to the national exchequer. The Committee also directed the Secretary Cabinet to move a summary to the Prime Minister for restructuring the existing CDA Board to enhance the civic body performance.
