The Punjab Finance Department has shown discrimination in disbursing honourarium to its employees by giving more to the District Management Group (DMG) officers, sources told Pakistan Today.
The Punjab government every year gives an honourarium worth two or three extra salaries to employees on good performance. Under the scheme, officials belonging to the Finance Department receive honourarium approved by the Punjab chief minister (CM) for preparing budget. This year, the Finance Department prepared a proposal of paying Rs 9.3 million to its employees under the head. However, the CM asked the chief secretary to give only Rs 7 million in honourarium. “Last year, Rs 7 million was given to the employees and this year the CM has asked not to exceed that amount,” said a source adding that the chief secretary and finance secretary formed a committee including the deputy secretary (admin), budget director and special finance secretary to look into the matter. Instead of decreasing the honourarium across the board, the committee kept it high for the DMG group and slashed it down for other officials, sources said, adding it was another example of discrimination on the basis of nepotism.
