LAHORE, July 29: Labour Department secretary Maj Iqbal Ahmad (retired) and Labour Welfare director Khalid Pervez said on Monday the Mine Rescue Stations at Sargodha and Rawalpindi for providing protection to 40,000 mine workers lacked adequate facilities and equipment.

During discussion on an audit para about unauthorized payments to the Mines Welfare Organisation, the officers told the meeting of the adhoc Public Accounts Committee that the equipment at the rescue stations was obsolete and unsuitable for effective rescue operations in the event of mine accidents.

They said the federal government’s Workers’ Welfare Board had provided Rs20 million for the upgradation of the two rescue stations by acuiqition of modern rescue equipment and training of the staff. They said the department was spending half a million rupees on the pay anad allowancers of the two stations. They said the mines and rescue stations should be part of the Industries Department.

PAC chairman Riaz H Bokhari and members took a serious view of payment of salary arrears to the Mines Labour Welfare Organization Staff without sanction. He said explanation should be sought from the district accounts officer concerned.

He also took a serious view of misclassification of accounts resulting in unauthorized payments. There were instances of expenditure on non-exitent organizations and payments of pay and allowances from the funds earmarked for construction. He said the AG’s Office should create a cell for examining the problem and take measures for ensuring accurate classification of accounts.

FOOD DEPARTMENT: The Food Department secretary told the PAC his department was the biggest borrower from the banks in the province. He said it had to pay excessive mark-up to the banks because the Finance Department did not release funds in time for repayment of loans for wheat procurement despite timely receipts from the federal government.