LAHORE, Dec 12: The Punjab cabinet met on Friday after a gap of several months.

Addressing the meeting at his secretariat, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that huge corruption and serious irregularities were committed in development projects during past eight years and national resources were looted without any check.

The chief minister said that bungling of Rs164 billion had been detected in the audit of district governments and tehsil municipal administrations (TMAs).

He said that third-party audit system had been made compulsory to eliminate corruption and ensure transparency in development projects.

According to a handout, a briefing was also given regarding irregularities in district governments, TMAs while approval was given to a number of bills during the meeting.

The chief minister said that he had introduced third-party audit system during his previous stint to ensure proper utilisation of funds and completion of development projects but this system was totally ignored subsequently due to which billions of rupees were embezzled in the development schemes.

He said that the present government had again made third-party audit system mandatory to eradicate corruption and utilise every penny of public money on welfare of the masses.

He said that NESPAK and other companies were being included in the system so that atmosphere of competition could be created among different companies and quality of development projects could be improved.

He directed that work on making third-party audit system as a permanent law be started immediately.

He said that if the Punjab government took action against contractors involved in plunder and corruption, they obtained stay orders. The situation could be judged from the fact that 21 people were issued notices for malpractices in TMAs but all of them obtained stay orders, he added.

He said that audit of the elements involved in the plunder of public money was not enough and looted money should have been recovered too.

He said that corruption committed in Bank of Punjab was unprecedented. He said that directors of the bank also obtained hefty loans, but they (directors) would not be able to acquire loans in future.

The chief minister directed that records of TMA Jatoi be seized and stern action be taken against persons responsible. He directed that local government secretary should submit a report in the next meeting.

Presenting third-party validation of infrastructure bill, the Planning and Development (P&D) chairman informed that its purpose was to maintain quality of development projects as well their monitoring and third-party audit of all major development projects would be conducted in future.

The chief minister directed the P&D chairman that more companies be brought in the system in view of huge workload on NESPAK. The meeting also gave approval to the degree awarding status of University of Heavy Industries Education City, Taxila, and Wah Cantonment University.

The cabinet also gave approval to the amendment bills of General Provident Fund as well as Bank of Punjab.