With tourism dying, why does STDC want more grants?

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With the on-ground situation for promotion of tourism in the province in a sorry state, the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) is striving hard to get the salaries and allowances of its employees increased, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that initially the STDC was established with an ambitious plan but it suffered enormous setbacks that adversely affected the working of the tourism company.
“The Sindh government has also not been able to provide adequate funds to the corporation to function as a commercial body,” they said.
The sources said that the STDC has asked for a one-time grant-in-aid of Rs 20 million from the Sindh government so that the corporation can overcome its financial crisis and run its centres efficiently.
Sindh Tourism Secretary Safdar Ali Shah has forwarded letter No SO(B&A)/T-D./F-(STDC)/2011-12/136 to the Sindh Finance Department to increase the grant-in-aid of the STDC.
According to a letter available with Pakistan Today, the Sindh government is providing annual grant-in-aid to STDC for payment of salaries and other miscellaneous expenses since its establishment. Initially, the grant was Rs 5 million which was enhanced to Rs 10 million in the financial year 2005-6. Subsequently, Rs 1 million was added in 2007-8 and now the grant amount stands at Rs 11 million.
While the Sindh government revised the basic pay scale and allowances in the financial year 2008-9 to 2011-12, no increase in annual grant of STDC was made and the normal affairs of STDC have been badly-hampered due to financial constraints, it was stated in the letter.
“It is requested that the annual Grant-in-Aid of STDC may kindly be enhanced from Rs 11 million to Rs 20 million in order to meet the expenditures on account of increased salaries and allowances and other administrative expenses of the corporation,” it was written.
The STDC was established in 1990-91 with the mandate to promote tourism in Sindh. The public utility runs its affairs through the income earned from tourism facilities. However, the corporation could not earn adequate income as it failed to provide better facilities to both local and foreign tourists.
The STDC has many well-equipped rest houses in different areas of Sindh but they remain booked for ministers, VVIPs and bureaucrats throughout the year. In many cases, the administrations of these rest houses have been reportedly renting out the facilities in return of meagre amounts.
The STDC has rest houses at Keenjher and Haleji lakes in Thatta district, Laki Shah Saddar in Dadu district, Lal Shahbaz Motel and Kai resorts in Sehwan Sharif, Dadu district, Sambara Inn in Larkana and the Mithi rest house.

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