Rs872m released for armoured personnel carriers for police

LAHORE
IN order to combat the ongoing war on terror, the Punjab government has released Rs872 million to Punjab Police for the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).
The Punjab police would buy 60 APCs in three installments with the estimated cost of Rs1.3 billion. The provincial government has released the funds for two installments to purchase the APCs. Twenty APCs would be purchased during the current fiscal year 2014-15 with the estimated cost of Rs436 million, while the remaining Rs872 million would be spent in the next two years. Punjab Home Department gave approval to the Punjab Police to issue tender for purchasing the APCs, which would be issued within a few days.
Inspector General of Police Punjab (IGP) had submitted a summary to the Punjab Home Department, demanding to equip the police with modern weapons to counter terrorism. The IGP demanded release of funds for purchasing 60 APCs. It was suggested that the required amount should be released from the funds of Rs5billion, specified for law and order in fiscal year 2014-15. Agreeing with the IGP’s demand, the Punjab Home Department forwarded summary to Chief Minister Secretariat for approval. Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, headed by Punjab Home Minister Col (r) Shuja Khanzada, also agreed with the demand of Punjab police.
Following the recommendation of the cabinet committee, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif gave approval for buying the APCs for the Punjab police in three phases. Twenty APCs would be purchased in the current fiscal year, 20 APCs in the fiscal year 2015-16 and remaining 20 APCs in the fiscal year of 2016-17.
It is worth mentioning that Rs81.683 billion were specified for the Punjab police in the budget of current fiscal, out of which Rs68.813 billion for salaries and other non-development expenditures and remaining Rs12.87 billion for the purchase of weapons, vehicles and other development schemes. Furthermore, additional amount of Rs5 billion was specified for law and order and emergency under the control of Punjab Home Department.
Our correspondent adds: Despite a ban on the entrance of the private vehicles without stickers on the premises of the Punjab Civil Secretariat, the baboos violated their own decision as they allowed the entry to 37 such vehicles on Tuesday.
It may be recalled that Additional Chief Secretary Syed Mubashar Raza chaired a meeting on Monday to review the security arrangements of the Punjab Civil Secretariat. In the meeting it was decided that any private vehicle without a sticker would not be allowed to enter on the premises. Interestingly on the very next day of the meeting, the decision was violated by Baboos themselves.
Sources said the Additional Chief Secretary had directed the Additional Secretary Welfare to strictly implement the policy decision. However, the Additional Secretary Welfare failed in implementing the policy decision.
The Additional Secretary Welfare was of the view the security arrangements were being improved at the Punjab Civil Secretariat.