Even as several decades have passed since the departure of the imperialists from the subcontinent, remnants of their century’s long colonial legacy continue to dominate the political culture in Pakistan, as high order bureaucrats from a handful of government departments unabashedly occupy state property even after retirement.
Despite the provincial government announcing its efforts to retrieve government residences retained by state officials post their retirement, hundreds of bureaucrats belonging to selected departments like the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Lahore High Court, Board of Revenue and Deputy Ambassador of Punjab Assembly to Chief Secretary continue to hold and utilize their former rights and privileges even after a formal end of their official term, facilitated greatly by court orders extending the duration of their possessions.
“Many government houses these days are illegally occupied by former bureaucrats and their families. Because of this the properties are not available for other officers who have rights over them,” divulged Hasan Subhani, a Grade 17 bureaucrat from Wahdat Colony, who resents living in the same two-room house which was allotted to him when he was inducted as a clerk.
Seconding Subhani’s discontentment, Rana Akhtar, section officer at the Punjab Civil Secretariat’s Health Department, claimed that he had been consistently denied a state residence since the past ten years. “The government keeps showing me the door on the premises that no empty houses are available,” reported Akhtar.
According to documents obtained by The Express Tribune, Punjab is home to almost 10,000 bureaucrats, out of which 5000 are allotted state residences, 15 per cent of whom refuse to vacate and return the government property which includes luxurious residences ranging from one to three kanal’s located across eight Government Officer’s Residences (GOR’s), Shadman, Wahdat Colony, and Chauburji Quarters, after their retirement.
Read Officers get 15 days to vacate illegal residence
“The fact that some government employees continue to hold official property after retirement, reflects the government’s double standards,” unanimously claimed Rana Liaquat Ali, an officer at the Education Department, and Khalid Mahmood Chaudhry, a Professor at the Health Department, who felt that the government gave preferential treatment to employees at the Punjab Civil Secretariat.
Expanding on Liaquat and Chaudhry’s accusation, Naveed Ahmed, Deputy Secretary at the Home Department, felt that nepotism was highly common across state departments since it determined an officials chances of being allotted a residence. “I had applied for a housing accommodation four years ago, but since I lack a strong recommendation, I have been unable to secure a residence till date,” revealed Ahmed.
Even though a new policy issued by the government prevents officers from transferring government property to a child, widow, or other kinfolk, a number of properties continue to be occupied by persons associated with former state officials including 180 houses in Wahdat Colony, and 60 in Chauburji Quarters among others.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, a spokesperson from the Punjab Civil Secretariat’s Estate Office maintained that house rent and other perks were deducted from the salary of the officers and employees who lived in government residences while officers who were not allotted government houses were given house rent and other benefits in their salary.
“We receive thousands of applications for allotment of houses, and many are still pending. Once the houses are vacant, the employees will be allotted their rightful residences. The government is also working on constructing an apartment complex for state officials in the city,” proclaimed the Additional Secretary of Welfare.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2024.
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