Signs of the lavish lifestyle of the civil bureaucracy and judiciary are manifested in the provincial budget, as the Punjab government has spent Rs 2.48 billion over and above the budgeted allocation on the construction, alteration or renovation of government offices and residences during the current financial year, the supplementary budget statement 2010-11 reveals. It shows that the major focus has remained on higher education and health with the government spending an amount of Rs 667.76 million and Rs 601.44 million respectively. But the numbers indicate that after education and health, the government prioritised the construction and renovation of government officers’ residences (GORs) in Lahore, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Punjab Assembly and Governor’s Secretariat besides beefing up the security of bureaucrats and judiciary.
The budget documents indicate that the civil bureaucracy devoted some Rs 127.06 million for its own welfare during the current fiscal year. A sum of Rs 104 million was spent on the renovation of GOR-1 alone while Rs 21.25 million had been utilised in GOR-2 and Rs 1.75 million on GOR-3. The documents illustrate that Rs 1.02 million were used on improving security arrangements at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat at 3-Club Road, 7-Club Road and 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam besides enhancing water supply for 7-Club Road. In addition, an amount of Rs 127,000 has been given for the provision of transformer and electrical panel at the CM’s Secretariat.
Figures indicate that the provincial judiciary is another major beneficiary, as an amount of Rs 22.29 million has been spent for providing amenities and security to senior judges. According to details, a hefty amount of Rs 14.96 million was spent on the construction of the Chief Justice Annexe and four suites for honourable judges at 12-C Aikman Road, GOR-1 with Rs 7.33 million spent on the security analysis of the residence of Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday.
The documents disclose that the senior bureaucrats of Grade-20 and above spent Rs 25.72 million for their own well-being. Numbers show that the government constructed 10 residences for them in GOR-1 with an average cost of Rs 2.57 million. In addition, some Rs 40.09 million has been spent for better water supply in GORs, of which Rs 28.94 million were spent on laying or replacement of system of GOR-1 while Rs 11.15 million were spent for the provision of fiber glass water tanks in GORs and other government buildings.
It is also notable that the government used around Rs 2.99 million for improvement of parks, playgrounds, footpaths and street lights in the GORs with Rs 11.17 million eaten away on account of alteration and beautification. Furthermore, an amount of Rs 2.75 million was wasted on the conversion of House No 26, Aikman Road, GOR-1, Lahore, into a guest house while Rs 906,000 were spent on alteration and provision of safety wire at House No 11, Aikman Road, GOR-1, Lahore. Another 20 million rupees were spent on multi-storey residences in GOR-2.
The Punjab Civil Secretariat is another white elephant, which consumed Rs 21.77 million on account of preservation, beautification and security arrangement of the building with Rs 6.52 million spent on provision of concealed underground wiring, Rs 4.56 million on construction of internal drive and walkways and Rs 4 million on uplifting or improvement of the boundary wall and security lights.
