LAHORE, July 8: The Ad hoc Public Accounts Committee, taking a note of settling of 24 teachers of the University of Engineering and Technology abroad, on Monday directed the Education Department to initiate a probe into the matter and recover the bond money.

The teachers had proceeded abroad on a study leave in the fiscal year 1997-98 and were required to pay the university the amount of liquidated damages in case of not joining it after completion of their education.

UET treasurer Husain Bukhari told the committee that an amount of Rs0.392 million had been recovered from defaulters on account of bond money while the outstanding balance was Rs3.898 million.

PAC chairman Riyaz Husain, taking note of UET inaction, said the university should come up with comprehensive rules and regulations regarding foreign study so that there was no recurrence of similar incident in future.

The committee also settled a number of UET-related audit paras.

Taking up the audit paras regarding the Punjab University for the year 1997-98, the committee ordered an inquiry into non-recovery of price of the produce sold out by the university.

PU treasurer Muhammad Jamil Bhatti told the PAC that a big chunk of amount had been recovered while efforts were on to get the remaining amount.

The PAC ordered the Education Department to hold a probe into non-recovery of the outstanding fee amounting to Rs2.977 million from students up to June, 1997, who were allowed to appear in the examination after partially depositing admission fee.

Mr Bhatti told the committee that the university had recovered a sum of Rs301,135 while the recoverable amount stood at Rs2.64 million.

The PAC also discussed the audit paras regarding higher education department for the year 1997-98.

The committee, expressing dismay over the voluminous working papers of the Punjab University, asked the educational institution to be careful in future.—APP