KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly Public Accounts Committee has advised all public sector universities and the boards of intermediate and secondary education to produce all relevant documents of expenditures incurred during the financial year before audit teams and get them verified so that issues need not to be taken up at the PAC.

The PAC, which met in the old assembly building on Thursday with its member Lal Chand Ukrani in the chair, settled two of the three draft paras of the audit report for the year 2009-10 of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sukkur.

The paras, which were settled, pertain to ‘non-accountal’ of stores articles costing Rs1.608 million and non-adjustment/ recovery of temporary advances of Rs0.373 million.

The draft para, which was not settled by the PAC, pertains to medical allowance paid to the officers of BS-17 and above at the rate of 25 per cent to married and 20 per cent to unmarried officers involving Rs2.015 million.

The board chairman Ghulam Mujtaba Shah took the plea that such medical allowances were allowed to the officers in public sector universities. He also presented a paper as approval of the amount by the governor who used to be the controlling authorities until two years back and as proof presented a document.

The PAC members Khairunisa Mughal, Sorath Thebo and Nand Kumar told the board officials that the document did not bear the signature of the governor, as such how it could be taken as approved expenditures by the competent authority.

PAC Additional Secretary Hassan Shah said that such issues recurred whenever audit paras of varsities and education boards were taken into consideration. To find its solution, he said, the matter could be referred to the PAC subcommittee where the board chairman could present documents signed by the governor. He added that it could also be referred to the chief minister who was the competent authority at present in education matters.

On a suggestion of Audit DG Ghulam Akbar Sohu, the meeting decided to write to the relevant authorities inviting secretary to the chief minister on public sector universities and boards to PAC meetings when their audited accounts were due for consideration by the PAC.

Nand Kumar said there would be no paras in the audit reports if rules of financial discipline were followed.

While considering a plea of the board chairman that the amounts of advance as shown in the audit report were not of his tenure which he assumed only two years back but of some eight years before him. However, he would see to it that all rules of financial discipline be abided by the board in its all financial dealings. Besides, he said, all relevant record had been produced before the previous audit director general who had verified adjustment of the advances.

PAC Special Secretary Makhdoom Shafi Mohammad, DG Audit Director Jibran Khalil Malik and additional secretary finance Abdul Rahim Shaikh attended the meeting.

The meeting during consideration of the three draft paras from the financial year 2008-09, referred to the PAC sub-committee para 14.2 involving Rs2.015 million pertaining to payment of medical allowance to the officers working in BS-17 and above in violation of the rules.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2014