LAHORE, Feb 4: The Public Accounts Committee-I of the Punjab Assembly has banned purchase of vehicles from the funds allocated for certain projects.

A meeting of the PAC held here on Monday with PML-Q leader Chaudhry Zaheer in the chair took up audit paras pertaining to the local government department, objected to the illegal practice of consuming funds of various projects for the purchase of vehicles.

It directed that in future no such purchases must be made.

The committee also directed that the local government department should deposit its funds with savings accounts instead of current accounts of banks.

The direction came on Rs305 million deposits being maintained with current accounts by the department as pointed out in the audit.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chaudhry Zaheer regretted that the incumbent provincial house and the government were completing their five-year term without holding local-body polls.

He said doors of elected houses at grassroots level remained shut for the masses for five years, giving a rise to public complaints at all levels.

He said development work was badly affected because of absence of local councils and pledged to restore the third tier of government immediately after his party, PML-Q, came into power after the polls.