Free ride: 76 PML-N affiliates costing Rs20m to Punjab govt

Tribune
These people were appointed after approval by the Chief Minister's secretariat.

LAHORE: As the Punjab government abolishes 550 posts to save Rs6 billion annually in expenditures, 76 people connected with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continue to work as coordinators, chairpersons of task forces and media consultants in various departments and institutions, causing a financial burden of above Rs20 million annually to the provincial government.

An official requesting anonymity told that these appointed men are enjoying perks and privileges without making any remarkable contribution to government business.

Among them, 49 are consultants, 17 chairpersons of task forces of various departments and 10 are media consultants in the Information Culture and Youth Affairs (IC&YA) department to look after media management of the government.

Since July 2009, the Punjab government has appointed ruling party office-bearers and workers, 49 of them, as coordinators in various departments and teaching hospitals to assist officials in improving performance and service delivery to the masses. Of these 49, 11 are offered salaries, allowances, vehicles, petrol, lubricant and oil, office with telephone facilities. Their salaries range between Rs20,000 and 75,000 per month. They are also provided between 150 and 200 litres of fuel per month. The remaining 38 are working on a honorary basis.

These individuals are enjoying perks associated with their posts without making any contribution to government affairs. Since June 2008, the Punjab government led by Shahbaz Sharif constituted 28 task forces in different departments, which were assigned various responsibilities including recommending proposals for the promotion of good governance and merit in the public sector. The purpose of establishing these task forces was to save public funds likely to be utilised on offices of provincial ministers.

The government, after approval by the chief minister’s secretariat, appointed some elected parliamentarians, party office bearers, like-minded businessmen, retired bureaucrats and technocrats as chairpersons of these task forces. All chairmen were given official vehicles, offices, telephones and manpower to complete the assigned tasks. Of these appointed people, 11 were offered salary packages ranging between Rs75,000 and Rs2,25,000. In addition, they were also offered travelling allowance/daily allowance at par with BS-20 officers.

However in August 2010, after analysing the poor performance and casual attitude of the chairpersons, the Punjab government abolished 11 task forces on the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, an official said. But despite that, 17 people continue to enjoy benefits as chairpersons of various bodies.

An official said that the provincial government can save Rs20 million if it terminates contracts of these 76 people.

VIP protection: CM’s office security bolstered at Rs12m cost

Tribune

Rs373 million spent on security of top functionaries since Dec 2007.

LAHORE: The police department is set to install additional equipment worth Rs12 million to beef up security at the chief minister’s camp office in Raiwind.

The decision has been taken in the wake of the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. A summary moved by the Special Branch has been approved by the provincial finance department.

The sanctioned equipment includes two vehicle scanners, two CCTV networks with 40 cameras, 25 sets of walkie-talkies, 12 searchlights, a sound system, two blow-horns, 10 cabins, a sniffer dog and a moveable picket.

The Punjab government has spent Rs373 million since December 2007 on security upgrades for VIPs.

An official said most of the equipment purchased  previously was for 41-S Defence Housing Authority and 180-H Model Town (CM’s camp office and residence). He said that installation of similar equipment at the chief minister’s residence in Raiwind was because it has been declared his camp office.

“A Special Branch team will be deployed at the Raiwind office to monitor security arrangements around the clock,” he added.

He said that currently 248 Elite Force personnel were deployed for the security of the Sharif family. Of these, he said, 71 were with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, including 58 at his Raiwind residence, 55 with Nawaz Sharif, 24 with Hamza Shahbaz, seven with Salman Shahbaz, six with Capt (retd) Safdar Mehmood, nine with Imran Yousaf (Shahbaz’nephew) and 10 with the chief minister’s first wife. Eight Elite Force officials were deployed at the Gulberg residence of Shahbaz’s other wife, he added.

Another police official seeking anonymity said that the police department was facing a shortage of funds and that police officials on other than VIP duty were mostly using outdated weapons.

In December 2008, the police department imported security equipment worth Rs250 million, including heavy-duty IED jammers, walk-through gates (with photo recording facility), conventional gates with wooden carry boxes, bomb locators/mine detectors, hand-held metal detectors, bomb defusing blankets, defusing bin, bullet-proof jackets, bullet-proof rostrum, CCTV cameras and bottom-view mirrors with night-sight facility.

In December 2007, the provincial government provided Rs111 million for the purchase of 621 items. These included four Toyota Land Cruisers and four heavy-duty IED jammers, 23 walk-through gates (with photo recording facility), 90 conventional gates with wooden carry boxes, 30 bomb locators/mine detectors, 340 hand held metal detectors and 130 bottom-view mirrors with night sight facility.

Of these, 80 were handed to the Directorate of Civil Defence, 13 to Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) and remaining 528 remained with the police department.