LAHORE: The government has decided to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (Phata) and constituted a three-member fact finding committee.
The audit aims to probe Phata’s affairs related toapproval of its housing schemes across the province, Dawn has learnt.
‘The audit has been ordered after housing schemes were approved in green areas, which is a malpractice,’ a senior official of the housing, urban development and public health engineering department -Phata’s parent organisation -told Dawn on Saturday.
According to a notification issued by the department’s secretary, the committee headed by Additional Secretary (Admin & Housing) Khurram Shahzad will consist of Phata Estate Management Director Amir Raza and a senior representative of the board of revenue. The committee, according to the notification, had been constituted to conduct a forensic audit of all matters pertaining to theprocessing and approval of housing schemes / societies approved by Phata at the divisional headquarters of Punjab for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The audit would look at landuse and zoning status, conversion of agriculture/green areas, scrutiny and approvalof layout plans, fulfilment of mandatory NOCs, levy, exemption, collection and recovery of conversion fee and other applicable fees and charges. Moreover, grant of concessions/relaxations, compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies and directions of the administrative department, verification of financial receipts and recoveries, and determination of responsibility in case of irregularity, unauthorised approval, financial loss or procedural violationswould also be probed.
The department has termed the action a major step towards transparency, merit and anticorruption.
‘A comprehensive audit of Phata for the financial year 2025-26 will be conducted, for which a special fact finding committee has been constituted on the directions of Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal,’ said a spokesperson for the department. The committee would undertake a detailed examination of Phata’s financial and administrative affairs, land-use matters, landuse planning and relatedissues.
It has been tasked with closely examining matters relating to alleged irregularities, unauthorised changes and potential financial losses, he said.
The spokesperson said thecommittee would also review the affairs of Phata directorates established at all divisional headquarters.
The committee would examine available records and relevant financial and administrative matters to ensure transparency, merit and compliance with applicable rules. Following completion of the audit and fact-finding exercise, the committee would submit its recommendations and report to the competent authorities, he added.
‘The corruption-free Punjab policy of the chief minister will be implemented in letter and spirit. The transparency, merit and compliance with rules and regulations in financial and administrative matters will be ensured,’ the secretary pledged in a statement.