Facing a revenue
shortfall of around 7 billion in the current fiscal year, the Azad Jammu and
Kashmir (AJK) government is reportedly contemplating buying over three dozen
new luxurious vehicles for cabinet members and senior bureaucrats,
notwithstanding growing criticism of “reckless extravagance” with the exchequer
of the cash-strapped region in this regard.
According to well
placed sources, the preliminary process has been initiated by the concerned
authorities for purchase of as many as 16 reconditioned 4200cc Parado jeeps
worth Rs 10 million each and 23 brand new 1800cc Toyota Corolla Grande cars
worth Rs 2.5 million each.
A 4700cc Land
Cruiser Jeep worth Rs 25 million is also being separately purchased for Prime
Minister Raja Farooq Haider, sources added.
Approval to
purchase of new vehicles for ministers was given by the cabinet on April 18
after the ex-agenda item was tabled by none other than the prime minister.
However, as yet
it’s not clear as to where the funds will be arranged from for the “unwarranted
shopping” as the Finance Department is already struggling hard to seek
additional funds from Islamabad to reduce revenue shortfall that sources say
has made it difficult for the government to pay salaries and pensions before
Eid.
The decision to
buy new vehicles comes amid an overlong wait for a comprehensive transport
policy dealing with purchase, allotment and use of official vehicles.
Misuse of vehicles a chronic issue
According to
conservative estimates, there are more than 6000 official vehicles in the 13297
sq. km AJK territory, which has scanty fiscal resources of its own and (thus)
banks mostly on grants from the Centre to meet most of its needs.
Due to the alleged
prodigality of successive governments, the “accumulative shortfall” since
2009-10 has soared to about Rs 25 billion and as a result payment of salaries
and pensions turns out be a thorn in the side of the government every month,
particularly after it exceeds its overdraft limit of Rs 4.5 billion and the
State Bank stops clearance of its cheques.
Under the existing
transport policy of 1993, cabinet members are entitled to two official
vehicles, while the secretaries, including the chief secretary, are entitled to
one official vehicle.
However, hardly a
few secretaries follow this rule, while the majority brazenly possesses two to
three additional vehicles.
Similar is the
case with senior police officers, almost all of whom are in possession of two
to three extra vehicles.
Official vehicles
are being occupied even by those officials who do not qualify for their allotment.
The logbooks of
such vehicles are maintained fictitiously, sources say, adding, wear and tear
of official vehicles is another big source of embezzlement of millions of
rupees every year in the absence of an effective monitoring system.
PML-N government’s claim
Since the alleged
unjustified purchase of official vehicles and their unauthorized allotment and
unchecked use had drawn scathing criticism from media and civil society in PPP
rule, the PML-N government had vowed to address this issue on a priority basis.
At a cabinet
meeting in October last year, it had decided to replace the existing transport
policy with a new one.
However, ever
since assuming office, the PML-N government has not enforced even any cosmetic
measure as a precursor to a stringent policy about the allotment and
utilization of official vehicles, lamented the sources.
A source told this
scribe that after the cabinet decision, secretaries were asked to furnish
details about the vehicles in their respective departments within one week. But
none of them complied and none was made accountable for the lapse.
“It appears the
announcement regarding transport policy was just an eye-wash because neither
the cabinet members nor the bureaucrats want enforcement of a tough policy that
can eventually deprive them of the boon of retaining additional vehicles,”
remarked one official on condition of anonymity.
In December 2011,
the then PPP government had constituted a 4-member committee, led by the then
additional chief secretary general Aizaz Nasim, to collect details about
official transport and indicate the officers using official vehicles beyond
entitlement. The committee was also tasked to submit proposals for
implementation of (existing) transport policy to control misuse of official vehicles.
The report, a copy
of which is available with this scribe, points out abuse of vehicles in detail
and suggests 35 measures to arrest the unlawful practices in this regard.
However, the PPP
government sat over the report over the next five years.
“That report was enough to pull the plug on misuse of official
vehicles. But, when it comes to arresting misuse of official vehicles, it seems
that Raja Farooq Haider government is not different than Chaudhry Abdul Majeed
led previous PPP government,” commented the official.
“When the public representatives, including the prime minister, are
not ready to surrender extra vehicles, you should not expect the bureaucracy to
withdraw unwarranted privileges,” he added.
When contacted by this scribe, Finance Minister Dr Najeeb Naqi
dispelled the impression that the PML-N government was following the previous
PPP regime regarding misuse of official vehicles.
“It were we who reclaimed many official vehicles from Zardari House
after assuming office,” he said, but didn’t provide the number.
He claimed that a cabinet sub-committee tasked to revisit transport
policy would present its recommendations in next cabinet meeting.
When asked if the committee will suggest some toughest measures to
control the unlawful trend of misusing official vehicles, he said since he was
not its member he could not say anything about it with certainty.
“We will ensure that the criteria for allotment and use of official
vehicles is strictly followed,” he said.
Tariq Naqash
