Islamabad - Pakistan Sports Board employees are enjoying electricity and gas facilities at very nominal rates or absolutely free of cost due to illegal connections, The Nation has learnt.
A visit to Pakistan Sports Board residential colony, situated inside the PSB Complex, reveals that not only high-profile employees, including director general, are utilising electricity and gas facilities illegally but the low grade workers also don’t lag behind in breaking the law.
The DG PSB has installed half a dozen air conditioners at his 6-kanal lavish residence and he is paying very nominal monthly power bills as electricity is being supplied from the Pakistan Sports Board direct lines, instead of installing proper meter. Same is the case with natural gas supply, as no meter at all was installed at any residential place, with the only exception of newly constructed flats situated inside the Rodham Hall.
There is a long list of PSB employees who are not only utilising electricity and gas utility without meters and are not paying a single penny while very nominal electricity and gas charges are being deducted from their monthly salaries.
Ghulam Rasool, PSB union CEO, is enjoying air conditioner at his official residence. Malik Akhtar, a driver for the DG and a union leader, is enjoying the same facility; Ashraf, a store keeper, Manan, a physio, Quratul Ain, a physiatrist, and many others are also enjoying air conditioning facilities at their residences without any entitlement.
Roshan Khan Squash Complex, which is arguably one of the best and with most seating capacity, is being occupied by the DG and utilised as guestroom where his guests are being given accommodation. Ticket booths are also used for residential purposes, where fans continue to swing unabated even during winters. Aqeel Shah, a low-grade employee, who is a close relative of Mumtaz, Deputy Director Facilities, has installed a window AC at his residence.
Another low-grade employee, Naveed, was allotted a flat inside PSB, even though he was not authorised for being a single. The most interesting thing to note here is that Naveed’s bother, who is a doctor and working at PIMS, is residing in the flat along with his family. Naveed was hired as an electrician and now he is an LDC in the Maintenance Wing. Shaheen, who is a clerk, has installed an air conditioner at his residence. Asad, a football coach, residing in a katchi abadi near the Pak-China Friendship Centre, is enjoying the same facilities and entire area doesn’t have a single meter of neither electricity nor gas.
When this reporter contacted acting Director General PSB Chaudhry Salamat Ali to seek his official version, he confirmed the issue and said that XEN Malik Sarfraz, who is also executive engineer, had installed meters in the official residences but employees destroyed meters and were not ready to pay utility bills through proper meters.
“I had taken up that issue with former DG late Amir Hamza Gilani, when Malik Imtiaz was asked to install meters once again,” Chaudhry Salamat Ali said.
“But employees would destroy the meters. So, it was decided to charge nominal monthly bills of both electricity and gas from employees salaries.”
When asked why the issue is not being taken with the incumbent DG, Ch Salmat refused to comment.