ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: Lawmakers who watch public accounts were amused to learn on Friday that two departments of the Ministry of Defence have been fighting for eight years over money paid for a job not done.

“It is a joke,” the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly remarked when told that Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has gone to court to recover the Rs5 million it had paid to the National Logistic Cell (NLC) for designing the Gwalmandi Bridge in the city which it failed to do.

Interestingly, the NLC also charged the civilian Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) which was eventually entrusted the project and completed it on its own.

At the same time the RCB is in litigation with the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL) and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to recover Rs3 million it had paid them in advance for their part in the project which never took off.

“It is embarrassing — the infight among departments of the same ministry. It reflects the inefficiency in the system,” said PML-N member of the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retired) Tariq Waseem Ghazi agreed with the PAC suggestion that some mechanism be devised to resolve inter-departmental disputes without recourse to courts.

The National Commission for Government Reforms set up under the former governor of the State Bank Dr Ishrat Hussain could address the issue.

APP adds: The Public Accounts Committee, which met under its chairman Malik Allah Yar Khan to review the audit report of Defence Ministry of 2000-01, directed the government to regularise the lease property of the cantonment boards till June 30, 2008.