In a spending spree of over Rs 15 billion, the federal government splurged on providing luxury housing and recreational facilities to parliamentarians and senior government officials during the fiscal year 2010-11, with federal lodges and family suites alone costing the national exchequer Rs 721.05 million, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday. Official figures released in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2011-12 indicate that the government had spent Rs 357.06 million on construction or renovation of 154 luxury family suites in Islamabad, while Rs 345.99 million were committed to Federal Lodges in Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar during the period under review. Figures illustrate that Rs 278.22 million were washed away in acquisition of land and construction of 48 luxury family suites in Islamabad. In addition, Rs 84.26 million were spent on construction of another 106 family suites in the capital while Rs 12.58 million were spent on account of renovation of government-owned houses, family suites and ministers’ residences.
MINISTERS’ RESIDENCES: The government had also spent Rs 188.30 million on the construction of 30 ministers’ residences and Rs 87.04 million on the construction of Federal Lodges in Benazirabad, Rs 50.98 million on the construction of VIP Block at Qasr-e-Naz, Karachi and Rs 19.67 million on the construction of Federal Lodge-II, Shami Road, Peshawar. Official numbers indicate that the National Assembly speaker’s official residence alone cost the government Rs 75.62 million, while a mosque and official residence for employees at Prime Minister’s Secretariat cost the national exchequer Rs 363.92 million. Similarly, Rs 120.07 million were spent on the construction of residential and non-residential accommodation for police at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad. In addition, more than Rs 33 million was committed to providing modern amenities in the Parliament House building, out of which Rs 11.05 million were spent on air conditioning, fire alarms and CCTV security systems, and Rs 22.90 million on miscellaneous security arrangements at the building.
Qasr-e-Naz and Carlton Hotel Clifton, Karachi, are some other white elephants that are gulping down the taxpayers’ money. Figures show that the government spent Rs 116.045 million on these two, with Rs 33.42 million spent on building a federal government office/residential accommodation at the Carlton Hotel Clifton, Karachi and Rs 31.65 million were spent on the renovation of Qasr-e-Naz, Karachi. In addition, Rs 50.98 million were spent on 32 suites of VIP Block at the Qasr-e-Naz. PSDP figures show that the government spent Rs 138.77 million on providing housing facilities to Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials last fiscal year. Construction of offices and accommodation for IB officials in Lakki Marwat cost Rs 10.16 million, in Zhob Rs 29.74 million, College Road, Lahore Rs 7.28 million and Bara Kahu Rs 63.21 million.
Some important projects, including shatter-proofing of all glass windows, doors and ventilators at Prime Minister’s House, construction of fiberglass sheds and allied works at Prime Minister’s Secretariat, fire prevention and fire fighting arrangements at Prime Minister;s House, could not be completed during the concluding fiscal year owing to lack of funds. The rationale of the PSDP is “welfare of the public”, but PSDP numbers reveal different priorities, which put a big question mark on the government’s claims of austerity measures.
