Misuse of public funds: Champions of austerity wasting govt resources

Officials using eight staff cars, four motorbikes and an official laptop in clear violation of rules and regulations.

LAHORE: In the latest example of waste of state resources amid acute financial constraints at the provincial government level, two officers senior in the hierarchy of the Punjab bureaucracy – former chief secretary Punjab Javed Mehmood and his staff officer Rashid Mehmood – are using eight staff cars, four motorbikes and an official laptop in clear violation of rules and regulations since they were relegated to the status of Officer on Special Duty (OSD), a euphemism for either being consigned to the surplus pool or without a proper posting.

Javed Mehmood, said to be a loyalist of the Sharifs, was posted as chief secretary Punjab in March, 2008. He was unceremoniously removed from his post in the first week of February last year when a retired colonel died after being hit by Javed’s staff car in the Lahore Cantonment area.

During his entire tenure, he remained a vocal champion of austerity in the public sector and started a self-styled good governance initiative.

On October 11, Javed Mehmood was promoted in BS-22, which was not actualised because of his OSD status. He is still not posted against any BS-22 vacancy.

Rashid Mehmood, another District Management Group (DMG) officer in BS-19, has been an OSD since September last year. He was previously working as secretary for Implementation and Coordination Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), otherwise the staff officer to the provincial chief secretary.

At least five of the vehicles are being used by him and his immediate family members: LWO-9810 used by one of his sons, Umer Javed, who is currently working in a multinational corporation in Islamabad, LEG-306 is under the use of Javed’s wife Samina, LEE-336 (a vehicle supposed to be used by the office of the inspector-general of police) is being used by another of his sons, Ali Javed, while a Suzuki Liana is being used by the bureaucrat’s mother. A vehicle from the transport pool of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat – LWL-9842 – is being used by Javed himself in addition to a BMW, which is used by the bureaucrat during his ‘spare time’. The vehicle is supposedly ‘reserved’ for the use of the chief justice of the Supreme Court during his visit to the province.

Smaller vehicles like motorbikes are at the disposal of his cook, operator and two drivers.

Each of the vehicles is consuming 300 litres of petrol on an average every month since October last year, while motorbikes are being provided 30 litres a month by the S&GAD.

A double-cabin vehicle is being used by Azram Khan, originally a driver in the LDA, who now works as a munshi, looking after Javed’s agricultural lands. Azram is said to be accompanied by a contingent of six police gunmen deployed at the bureaucrat’s farmhouse. Azram was ‘attached’ with Javed since the man served as the director-general of LDA.

Rashid Mehmood is said to be using an official car (LWL-9145) with driver and utilising 250 litres of petrol since he was made OSD. One of the motorbikes was being used by Rashid’s driver. One laptop is also said to be in his illegal custody.

According to policy guidelines issued by the finance department regarding facilities to OSD in BS-20 and above, such officers can retain one staff car with driver and 200 litres of fuel. He is also entitled to one newspaper and allowed to make 1,000 phone calls at state expense. The official is not entitled to claim and compensation for utility bills.

Rashid was an officer in BS-19 and was not eligible for an official vehicle.

All transferred officers have to surrender official vehicles when they relinquish charge of the post.

An OSD in BS-20 and above is entitled to a staff car from the S&GAD transport pool. He cannot retain official vehicles.

In April last year, the finance department issued a notification, providing perks and privileges of chief secretary to Mehmood during the entire time he served as an OSD.

According to the special notification, Javed is entitled to claim unlimited utility bills (electricity, gas, water and telephone), fuel, six newspapers and two official vehicles with drivers during his stay with the Punjab government as an OSD, sources added.

When contacted for comments, Javed Mehmood said only two vehicles were under his personal use. This was allowed under the policy, he said. He refused to elaborate.

Rashid was not available for comments despite several attempts to contact him.

Interestingly, an austerity drive was launched by the former chief secretary in April 2008, ostensibly to reduce extra financial burden on public exchequer. All department heads were ‘directed’ to surrender all vehicles “beyond their entitlement to Services and General Administration Department”. During the campaign, about 703 vehicles were ‘voluntarily’ surrendered. These vehicles were auctioned in October last year, fetching Rs170 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2011.