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Secret funds utilized

Secret funds utilized in transparent manner: former secretaries

ISLAMABAD, Sep 11 (APP): Former Information
secretaries of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said
Tuesday the ministry had not much secret funds to oblige
journalists.
Talking to PTV, Syed Anwar Mehmood said that name of secret
fund was wrongly used, as many expenditures of the ministry were
met through this fund, which was a discretionary amount.
He added the ministry could not meet all expenditure within
its regular budget that was why it had to utilize the secret fund
on different works including journalists' welfare, press clubs
grants and payment to journalists visiting along with the
president and prime minister to foreign countries.
Replying to a question, the former secretary rejected the
impression that the secret fund run in billions of rupees, saying
it ranged harldly between around Rs 40 to Rs 50 million.
"There had never been gigantic figure of secret fund, I
never handled such big amount of billion of rupees under this
head," he remarked.
Answering another question, he said though he would not
comment reports regarding misuse of secret fund as the issue was
pending before the court.
However, he added, "in my experience such reported big
figures of billion of rupees of secret fund was never allocated."
He said there was always check an balance for using the
secret fund, adding prime minister could appoint a secretary of
another ministry to look after the fund.
While another former secretary information Ashfaq Gondal
also rejected that secret funds stood at billions of rupees,
adding it was not possible for the ministry.
He said there was a transparent utilization of the secret
fund which was auditable and its audit was carried out by the
cabinet division.
Replying to an other question regarding allegations of
misuse of the fund, he said at least the ministry did not have too
much funds to lavish on journalists.
He added during his tenure this fund was never used for
political purpose.
He said Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was
necessary for democracy adding in India which was second largest
democratic country had more powerful information department and
its PIO was considered the most powerful person in the ministry.
Similarly, In Britain, he added central office of
information was five times bigger than the ministry of our country
and it performed the same function as our country's information
ministry did.


grants and payment to journalists visiting along with the
president and prime minister to foreign countries.
Replying to a question, the former secretary rejected the
impression that the secret fund run in billions of rupees, saying
it ranged harldly between around Rs 40 to Rs 50 million.
"There had never been gigantic figure of secret fund, I
never handled such big amount of billion of rupees under this
head," he remarked.
Answering another question, he said though he would not
comment reports regarding misuse of secret fund as the issue was
pending before the court.
However, he added, "in my experience such reported big
figures of billion of rupees of secret fund was never allocated."
He said there was always check an balance for using the
secret fund, adding prime minister could appoint a secretary of
another ministry to look after the fund.
While another former secretary information Ashfaq Gondal
also rejected that secret funds stood at billions of rupees,
adding it was not possible for the ministry.
He said there was a transparent utilization of the secret
fund which was auditable and its audit was carried out by the
cabinet division.
Replying to an other question regarding allegations of
misuse of the fund, he said at least the ministry did not have too
much funds to lavish on journalists.
He added during his tenure this fund was never used for
political purpose.
He said Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was
necessary for democracy adding in India which was second largest
democratic country had more powerful information department and
its PIO was considered the most powerful person in the ministry.
Similarly, In Britain, he added central office of
information was five times bigger than the ministry of our country
and it performed the same function as our country's information
ministry did.
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