By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water and Power has abolished its meaningless Media Cell with immediate effect as it was consuming a needless Rs 12 million per annum since financial year 2009-10.
The newly-installed Secretary, Javed Iqbal, has abolished the Media Cell and repatriated the ‘media professionals’ to their parent information ministry.
The secretary also lauded The News for exposing such wastage of critical national funds in times of national financial hardship. “Yes, Mr Khalid Mustafa, The Ministry is thankful to you for the series of news published in The News which unearthed this scam and we have sprung into action and abolished the media cell with immediate effect and issued the orders on Saturday to repatriate all the officials, working in the media cell to Information Ministry, their parent organisation,” Secretary Ministry of Water and Power Javed Iqbal told The News.
He further stated, “The decision to create media cell was not wrong to sensitise the masses about the initiatives of the government with regard to reducing power outages, conservation of energy and ongoing power sector reforms, but it was factually an illogical decision to provide a huge funding of Rs12 million to media cell from the pocket of NesPak, which basically needs no image building.”
The official order entitled, ‘Repatriation of Zahoor Ahmad Barlas and Nasir Jamal’ issued on Saturday by the Ministry of Water and Power joint secretary (admin) states: “I am directed to inform that the requisitioned services of Zahoor Barlas, BS-19 officer of Information Group working as DG (Services and Financial Monitoring), Office of the Chief Engineering Advisor/Chairman Federal Flood Commission and Nasir Jamal, BS-19 officer of Information Group working as DG media since 2009 in the Ministry of Water and Power are no more required in this Ministry. The officers are relieved from the duties with immediate effect in order to join their parent ministry i.e. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.”
A senior official of the ministry of water and power said the ministry is going to order an immediate audit into the financial affairs of the Media Cell.
Source: The News
Date:2/13/2011
