Costly vehicles are being purchased for bureaucrats. The Taxpayer’s Money is being spent for Officials’ Luxuries.
Isa Daudpota
On April 15th, a Section Officer in Sindh Government’s Finance Department circulated a notice about the purchase of about 15 Hilux Rocco 4×4 Diesel (2755 cc) vehicles, manufactured by Indus Motors, for the use of various Deputy Commissioners (DCs). Each one according to this document (copy of which I received by email) costs just under Rs.15 million.
It is worth recalling that Malik Meraj Khalid was caretaker prime minister from November 1996 until February 1997. He rode everywhere in a Suzuki Alto, which costs under Rs.3 million today, i.e. one fifth the price of vehicles now being given to DCs (Grade 18-19). His profile appeared in The Guardian.
It helps to put the DC’s vehicle cost against what a common person earns. Roughly, the annual salary of a worker is Rs.0.5 million (based on the minimum wage mandated by the government). Hence 30 workers are meant to feed their big families for a year for what a grand vehicle costs.
Read: Sindh govt releases Rs526mn to purchase luxury vehicles for senior officials
One dreads to estimate the cost of the Chief Minister’s and Governor’s vehicles and of the ones given to hundreds (or is it thousands?) of senior officers under them and above the rank of DC.
________________
Hailing from Sindh, Isa Daudpoto is Islamabad resident
