Of austerity measures and misuse of official vehicles

PESHAWAR: At a time when the country in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular is facing severe financial crunch, the misuse of official vehicles is going on without any check from the quarters concerned.

Government cars with green number plates can be seen plying different routes, at shopping malls, markets and picnic spots.

Contrary to the government’s hollow slogans of adopting austerity measures, the public servants are misusing their authority due to lack of any check from the quarters concerned.

Of late videos have gone viral on social media in which government vehicles could be seen in the bazaars, markets, picnic spots and even at wedding ceremonies.

There are reports that some high-ranking officials are daily travelling to their hometowns out of Peshawar while using the government vehicles.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has simply passed on the burden to the poor by increasing the prices of the petroleum products, gas and electricity.

It has withdrawn subsidies to fulfill the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for getting the loan.

However, the provincial caretaker government seems to be dragging its feet to reduce the official expenditure and make the government officials surrender their privileges.

There seems to be no austerity on the part of government functionaries at the federal or provincial level.

The social media users argue that if a low-grade employee can bear the expenditure of his/her travel, pay the utility bills, and school fee of the children then why not those who were drawing handsome salaries and what was the logic behind free fuel, gas, electricity and above all luxury vehicles even after duty hours.

Had the government been sincere it would have withdrawn the fringe benefits from the ministers, advisors, special assistants and the public servants for six to 12 months.

At least the misuse of official vehicles can be prevented by confining use of cars for duty hours and parking them in secretariat or directorates parking.

The use of official vehicles after duty timings can be checked through traffic police by authorizing them to stop vehicles with green number plates after duty hours except for a valid reason.

The component parties in the PDM particularly the prime minister and finance minister, who belong to the PMLN might face the public anger in the elections if the federal government failed to convince the civil and military bureaucracy as well as judges to withdraw their benefits including free fuel, utility bills and protocol to justify the unprecedented hike in prices of daily use commodities.

It should establish its writ and implement the austerity measures in letter and spirit.

The people in KP expect Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan, a retired bureaucrat, to prevent the misuse of government resources and help mitigate the miseries of the have-nots.