President House exceeds spending limit by Rs121m last year

ISLAMABAD: An amount of Rs121.5 million was spent over and above the estimated budget of staff, household and allowances of President Mamnoon Hussain during the fiscal year 2015-16 as according to budget documents this sum was spent on purchase of vehicles for the president. Moreover, the president also exceeded in spending his discretionary grant by Rs1 million.

According to budget documents, for Prime Minister’s Office (Internal) State Conveyance and Motor Car, purchase of transport cost Rs15 million, staff and household, payment of incentive allowance was Rs1.8 million above the allocated budget and wages and uniform and protective clothing in PM House cost Rs1 million above the estimated budget.

The Federal Budget 2016-17 document explaining the Supplementary Demands for Grants and Appropriations for last year reveal that a sum of Rs31.5 million was spent on repair of Supreme Court and Judges Rest House in Murree.

The federal government spent Rs34.9 million on rehabilitation/ up-gradation of Bani Gala Road, Islamabad which was not allocated in the previous budget. For Safe City Islamabad project, Rs4 billion was spent by the government from the supplementary grants.

To raise/ recurring expenditure of Capacity Enhancement and SSD Wing Pakistan Rangers, Punjab a sum of Rs3.5 billion and on Pakistan Rangers, Sindh a sum of Rs1.572 billion was spent from supplementary grant. And for SSD Wing, Rs17.8 billion was spent by the government as supplementary grant. National Press Club got Rs15 million as grant in aid from the government.

For clearance of arrears of sacked employees of Pakistan Public Works department an amount of Rs52.7 million was spent; renovation and special repair of Ministers’ enclave Islamabad cost Rs5.3 million; repair/maintenance of Supreme Court building cost Rs37.7 million; Judges’ residences/rest houses in various cities cost Rs99.4 million.

For tariff differential to KESC, an amount of Rs 33.4 billion was paid as supplementary grants by the federal government. subsidy on Rice and Cotton cost Rs 12 billion while Wapda/PEPCO’s receivable from Fata touched Rs 17.8 billion. Government’s support for sugar export cost Rs 1.6 billion.

For assistance package to the families of teaching/administrative staff of Army Public School Peshawar Rs183 million; establishment of Air University Multan Campus Rs150 million and Cadet college Hassan Abdal Rs100 million.