KARACHI, Jan 14: The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly, Jam Tamachi, has said that the bureaucracy did not take the proceedings of the committee seriously because of an undemocratic rule that remained in the country for years.

Talking to a group of journalists after presiding over the third meeting of the committee on Wednesday, he said that the new committee would regain its importance as an elected body and keep a check over the use of public funds in a transparent manner and as per rules and regulations.

The third meeting of the PAC was held to consider audited accounts for the year 2003-04 of the education and literacy department.

The PAC chief said that in the absence of a democratic rule the government officials had developed a tendency to spend public funds without following the laid down rules and procedure.

He disclosed that the reports of the PAC had not been submitted before the Sindh Assembly for approval for the past 17 years.

The public accounts committee is responsible for examining the appropriation accounts and audit paras to determine financial irregularities and discrepancies committed while using public money by the government departments. It prepares a report based on its observation and submits it to the assembly. After the assembly approves it, the report is submitted to the governor and after his approval the government implements its recommendations.

With regard to Wednesday’s proceedings, a committee member, Shama Mithani, said that verification of the expenditures incurred for works and services was yet to be regularised as the supporting vouchers were not produced. However, the Secretary Education, Rizwan Memon, promised to submit the vouchers in the next meeting, she added.

She said that the committee asked the officials concerned to explain the reasons as to why the work on some projects was delayed or they were not completed despite the availability of funds.

Another member, Moin Peerzada, said that the PAC had only regularised appropriation accounts for the year 2003-04.

The secretary education said that there was an improvement in the release of funds after the cabinet decided to release appropriation funds on a quarterly basis.

Earlier, the PAC regularised the appropriation accounts while audit draft paras verification were deferred till next meeting.