ISLAMABAD - Sub Committee-III of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday directed the Managing Director, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) to register FIRs against fake degree holders.
The PAC met yesterday under the Chairmanship of Sardar Aashiq Hussain Gopang. Members of the sub-committee Shahida Akhtar Ali, Sheikh Rohale Asghar and Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho were also present.
Secretary Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Mohammad Azam, DG Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), MD PTV and MD APPC were also present as the committee discussed audit paras of the ministry for year 2007-08. The Chairman Committee has said that politicians having fake degrees are being punished while no action is being taken against government employees who have fake degrees. He directed to verify degrees of all employees and register FIR against fake degree holders and submit its report to the PAC within two months. He further said that employment through fake degrees is a criminal act which should be stopped now.
The Managing Director PTV told the committee that degree verification process is underway and 82 fake degree holders have been dismissed from service after their degrees were not verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). He said after holding charge of MD, he conducted audit of the Corporation; a procurement policy has been framed while loans of Rs two billion were paid from PTV’s resources. Answering a question about loss to PTV, he told, PTV faced a loss of Rs 10 billion during last seven years adding that PTV receive only Rs 4 billion while its expenditures are around Rs 7 to 8 billion. Discussing another para in which irregular sanction and payment of ex-gratia/bonus was paid to the PTV employees, the committee directed to regularise the para from the Finance Ministry.
The MD, PTV said that ex-gratia was paid to employees on Eid adding that in certain matters the Board of Directors of the Corporation is fully empowered to take decisions.
The Convener, Sardar Aashiq said PTV should initiate agriculture awareness programs to guide farmers to help farmers. The new Agri-based programs are being started on daily basis while revenue is also increasing.
Discussing another audit para related to the Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC), the committee directed the APPC officials to submit annual audit report within one month. MD APPC said that the audited account from 2003 to 2007 had been deposited.
Director General Radio told the committee that total strength of PBC is 4330 out of which 2875 employees are working and 1455 vacancies are vacant. Discussing audit para about Radio Pakistan related to regularisation of services of employees in violation of rules, the Secretary MOIB&NH told committee that all subordinate departments have been directed to avoid such irregularities in future and added, action would be taken against officers who violated rules. The Audit officials told that recovery of Radio commercials should be done in 90 days while after 230 days amount could not be recovered. Sheikh Rohail said that favourtism should be stopped in all departments and Boards of Directors should also adopt a policy in this regard.