CM, governor offices overspent budget

The expenses of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's two top constitutional offices — the Chief Minister's Secretariat and the Governor's House — have soared dramatically during the outgoing fiscal year, with both institutions overspending by hundreds of millions of rupees.

According to official budget documents, the Chief Minister's Secretariat exceeded its allocated budget by Rs858.5 million during the outgoing fiscal year 2024-25. The initially allocated amount of Rs805 million swelled to actual spending of Rs1.663 billion. For the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26, Rs1.419 billion has been earmarked for the Secretariat.

A significant portion of this spending went to staff salaries and allowances, with Rs448.5 million initially allocated but Rs504.6 million ultimately spent. In the next fiscal year, Rs537.5 million has been allocated for this head.

Spending on gifts and entertainment also raised eyebrows. While Rs35 million was originally set aside, actual expenditures reached Rs110 million — more than three times the allocation. For FY 2025-26, Rs38.5 million has been sanctioned.

For "Secret Services," Rs50 million had been budgeted, but actual spending hit Rs200 million mark. The new allocation for this category is Rs100 million. Similarly, fuel allowances exceeded the budgeted Rs35 million, with Rs60 million spent; Rs38.5 million is proposed for next year.

On the other Governor's House also overspent its original allocation. Against a budget of Rs507.6 million for fiscal year 2024-25, actual spending rose to Rs606.7 million — an excess of Rs99.1 million. For the upcoming fiscal year, Rs591.6 million has been earmarked.

Utility bills for the Governor's House had an allocation of Rs41.3 million, but only Rs800,000 was spent. However, Rs45.4 million is proposed for fiscal year 2025-26. Travel allowances were budgeted at Rs16.2 million but reached Rs20.7 million; the new budget proposes Rs17.8 million.

General expenses also saw an overrun, with Rs97.8 million budgeted and Rs109 million spent. For the coming year, Rs107.6 million has been allocated. Secret service expenses in this category doubled from the allocated Rs10 million to Rs20 million, with Rs11 million proposed for fiscal year 2025-26.

Entertainment and gifts at the Governor's House cost Rs20.1 million, surpassing the allocated Rs16.1 million. The proposed allocation for next year is Rs17.7 million.

These figures have sparked concern among fiscal observers, who argue that such extravagant public spending, especially on discretionary items like gifts and entertainment, warrants closer scrutiny amidst the province's ongoing financial challenges.