MPAs criticise luxuries for bureaucrats

Object to the provision of multiple govt-owned houses, expensive SUVs

PESHAWAR: The alleged ballottement of multiple government-owned houses and provision of brand new, luxury vehicles to civil servants in the province echoed in the provincial assembly on Friday.

The familiar issues of the absence of provincial ministers and lack of quorum cropping up again.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed on Friday morning with Speaker Mushtaq Ghani in the chair.

During the question and hour session, the additional secretary to the speaker told the house that he has been allotted a house in the provincial capital but he has yet to take possession of it.

The opposition and treasury benches collectively raised the issue of bureaucrats occupying multiple government-owned houses, including in the areas where they are deployed along with a government-owned house in the provincial capital. Moreover, they also use precious vehicles.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai told the house that the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Mohammad Azam Khan enjoyed a government-owned house in Peshawar and another one in Islamabad.

MPAs from across the aisle demanded that civil servants should be allocated perks and privileges as per their employment grade and only in the city where they work.

Senior Minister Atif Khan explained that government officers are entitled to government-provided residence in the area where they are deployed but that government officers cannot hold two government-owned houses within the country at the same time.

He demanded an inquiry into the matter by the relevant committee.

Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Shagufta Malik claimed that new vehicles have been procured for six secretaries and five commissioners of the province.

“Under what criteria SUVs have been purchased for these officers,” she asked, adding that the assembly has been misled through the provision of incorrect answers.

Orakzai contended that as lawmakers, they were equivalent to or higher than basic pay scale (BPS) grade 22 civil servants but had shabby cars while the bureaucracy was enjoying the privileges of viceroys.

K-P Law Minister Sultan Mohammad Khan, though, termed it a debatable issue. He contended that government officers need to perform their duties. And while members of the assembly have fewer facilities available, forcing them to use their own resources, they had been elected by the people to serve them.

The law minister proposed referring the issue to the relevant committee.

Speaker Mushtaq Ghani ruled that a public officer should only have one government-allotted house. He referred the case to the concerned committee and directed it to submit a report within a month.

Net hydel payments

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) reserved seat for women MPA Naeema Kishawar tabled an adjournment motion about the last meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) and the payment of K-P’s net hydel profit dues.

In a written reply, it was disclosed that the province has been paid Rs58.9 billion out of total dues of Rs70 billion over the past decade, leaving a shortfall of Rs11 billion. Of this, the provincial government has so far received only Rs3.9 billion.

Moreover, Rs34.29 billion have accrued over the past two years of which the government has yet to receive anything.

The law minister responded by saying that the issue of net hydel profits was taken up in the CCI meeting and that the province was assured that the issue will be resolved under the AGN-Kazi formula.

ANP’s Sardar Hussain Babak claimed that the federal government keeps violating the Constitution by not giving K-P its right.

“The provincial government has raised the issue on every forum but the prime minister is not acting on the Constitution,” Babak said, adding that the provincial government lacks the courage to speak to the prime minister.

Mishandling compensations

During the question-answer session, ANP member of the KP assembly has levelled the allegation that during the 2016 earthquake, compensation payments in lower Dir were mishandled.

At this, the provincial law minister responded by saying that payment was made to victims. However, on the insistence of the ANP lawmaker, the matter was referred to the relevant committee for investigation. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2020.