ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production decided on Wednesday that NAB or FIA should hold an inquiry into a case related to use of the gratuity fund of the Pakistan Steel Mills in other heads.

Headed by Senator Hidayatullah, the committee noted that the management of the PSM had issued a charge-sheet to workers who were demanding release of their salary.

“This is totally unfair and unlawful and this should not have happened,” Senator Hidayatullah regretted.

“The charge-sheet should be immediately withdrawn and labourers should be given their rights at the earliest,” the chairman of the committee ordered.

The committee was briefed on this year’s Rs1.75 billion Ramazan Relief Package announced by the government. Under the package, the committee was informed, around 22 essential items would be sold at reduced prices.

The package includes a subsidy of Rs280 million on wheat flour, Rs250 million on sugar, Rs588.83 million on ghee/oil, Rs108.91 million on gram pulse, Rs120 million on white gram, Rs25 million on gram flour and other items.

The committee was presented a performance report of the Utility Stores Corporation and members of the committee found it unsatisfactory.

The USC Managing Director, Gulzar Hussain Shah, told the committee that the corporation was facing losses in the current financial year.

Members of the committee expressed concern over the performance of the USC and directives were issued to check corruption and mismanagement in the corporation.

The committee was further informed that a total of nine monitoring teams had been formed and 153 officials had been designated by the USC itself for effective monitoring of Ramazan Package 2016.

In another agenda item, the committee was informed that new investors in the automobile sector had sought information from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) about revival of closed manufacturing units in the country, including the revival of M/s Dewan Farooque Motors Ltd and M/s Gandhara Nissan Pakistan.

It was informed that Dewan Motors could be revived as it was still in operational condition and would require a limited investment.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016