PESHAWAR, July 16: The provincial assembly’s standing committee on sports and culture has demanded an inquiry into alleged embezzlement in the construction work on the grounds of Nishtar Hall which was reportedly undertaken without approval of the department concerned.

MPAs Nadir Shah, Naeema Kishwar, Felix Innocent and Mohammad Arshad Khan attended the committee’s meeting held on Monday. It was presided over by its chairman Javed Khan Mohmand, said a handout.

The members expressed concerns over the utilisation of Rs4.5 million on the construction work. They asked the officials of the sports and culture department to look into the alleged misappropriation of funds. They claimed that funds were used on the construction work without prior approval of the officials concerned. They demanded strict legal action against the officials who violated the rules and regulations.

The committee also expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Sarhad Tourism Corporation (STC) in last four years.

They enquired from the STC officials, including the managing director and the general manager of STC, reasons due to which they could not hold any inquiry. They said that the STC has not publicised in newspapers for the information and participation of the public. They expressed concern over the inefficiency of the STC.

They directed the STC officials to chalk out a line of action for future on such lines that all tourist attraction sites in the NWFP could be projected in such a manner that it could boost tourism.

Promotion of tourism and influx of foreign tourists could be a mean for revenue generation for the province, the members opined.

The committee members asked the NWFP sports and culture department to take up the issue of the Gandhara artifacts which were brought back from abroad and demand its return to the province. These artifacts should be returned for display in the Peshawar Museum, they said.

Naeema Kishwar of Mardan also suggested that a playground should be established at Gojar Ghari in Mardan district.