Rs526m released to buy SUVs for top babus

Sindh govt purchases luxury vehicles for commissioners of six divisions and DCs of 29 districts

KARACHI:

The Sindh Finance Department has released Rs526 million to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) for the procurement of new luxury vehicles for commissioners of the six divisions of Sindh and deputy commissioners (DCs) across the province.

According to official documents, the funds will be utilised to purchase 35 vehicles with 2,755cc engine capacities, comprising six Toyota Fortuner diesel models and 29 Toyota Hilux Rocco pickups.

The six Fortuners are designated for the province's commissioners, including Karachi, while the Hilux Roccos will be assigned to 29 DCs. There are six divisions in Sindh, Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benaziraba (Nawabshah).

There are 30 districts in Sindh. However, government will by one Rocco less because the DC of Keamari district is not included in this allotment. A new vehicle had already been procured earlier for the newly established district.

The release of funds comes approximately one-and-a-half month prior to the presentation of the new fiscal year's budget. As per a letter issued by the Sindh Finance Department, the cost of each Fortuner vehicle for the commissioners is around Rs18 million, while each Hilux Rocco designated for DCs costs around Rs14.4 million.

The Sindh cabinet had approved the procurement of these vehicles in January of this year. Earlier, the cabinet had also sanctioned the purchase of 138 double-cabin vehicles for ACs, a move that attracted significant public criticism. Detractors pointed out the contradiction between government calls for austerity and the large expenditure on luxury vehicles for officials.

Despite the criticism, the Sindh government has defended its decision, stating that the purchase of new vehicles is essential for officers to effectively carry out their official responsibilities. The government has also emphasized that allocations for these purchases were duly made in the current fiscal year's budget.