Some eye-catching overspending of billions

ISLAMABAD: The government provided billions of rupees as supplementary grant for repair of VVIP aircraft and helicopters of defence authorities and provincial governments to bear the cost of lost cases in the international arbitration, for the repair and maintenance of SC judges’ residences, rest houses and sub-offices in various cities, to cover Intelligence Bureau’s excessiveness and to finance the development schemes of ruling MPs, particularly in Sindh.

Beyond the budgeted expenditure, what the government overspent also includes expenditure on the prime minister's initiative to Save the Calf. Last year Pakistan lost the Hyderabad Fund case in UK which was a blow for the country but the budget document now reveals that Islamabad had to pay Rs1.2 billion on account of making payment of legal charges of Hyderabad fund case paid by Pareps Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Pahic London.

Such an unexpected burden of the national exchequer also includes the payment of Rs433 million made to Broadsheet LLC as NAB payment of Part Final Award and Part of Final Award costs as a consequence of International Arbitration that Pakistan lost.

According to the budget documents, the Ministry of Defence got additional Rs32 billion which included Rs45 million spent on the repair/maintenance of 03 X Cessna Grand Aircraft of the Air Wing, while Rs80 million was granted for spare parts and maintenance of helicopters of the government of KP, Punjab and Balochistan.

The overspending includes Defence Ministry’s payment of Rs477 million for repair and maintenance of two VVIP Gulfstream Aircraft. Rs922 million has been given to Intelligence Bureau to meet the shortfall in its allocated budget. For the medical store of Pak Navy Rs1.3 billion was provided and for the acquisition of land for Jagiot Farms, Islamabad Rs490 was given as supplementary grant.

Rs652 million was paid beyond the budgeted allocation for salary of maintenance staff and repair and maintenance of the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, Islamabad and judges’ residences, rest houses and sub-offices in various cities. Rs34 million was overspent on prime minister's initiatives to Save the Calf, for Calf Feedlot Fattening in Pakistan whereas additional expenditure of Rs7.4 million was made for Backyard Poultry in the ICT.

Supplementary grant also include money given to Madrasa reforms (Rs38m) and Model Deeni Madaris (Rs.57m), for sugar sector production monitoring of Video-Analytics Surveillance System (VAS) (Rs350m) and for communication campaign to highlight incentive offered to construction, housing and infrastructure development (Rs302m), government initiatives (Rs1b), and clearing the liabilities of advertising agencies incurred on communication campaign of Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme (Rs109m). Rs1.5 billion was granted for award of Allama Muhammad Iqbal 3,000 scholarships to Afghan students under PM’s directive. Rs22 billion was given to Pakistan Steel Mills for settlement of outstanding dues of non-litigant retired employees and for the retrenchment of PSM employees.

To address the political concerns of ruling MPs from Sindh, the government beyond the budgetary allocation overspent Rs16 billion in multiple projects of Karachi and Sindh including Green Line Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS), reconstruction of Manghir Road from Jam Chakra to Banaras, reconstruction of Nishtar Road and Manghopir, rehabilitation/upgradation of existing fire fighting system of KMC, construction of road over Malir Bund from Dada Bhoy Town/Expressway up to limits of PNS Mehran, installation of RO plants in Tharparkar, development schemes in Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Shaheed Banazirabad divisions and different districts of Karachi.