KARACHI - Despite tall claims to reduce expenditures, the spending of the Governor House as well Chief Minister Secretariat/House shot-up in the outgoing FY 2013-14 against the budget allocations.
Instead of curtailing the non-development expenditures of the CM House and Ministers spending to show the austerity measures, the PPP government increased the budget on this account for next fiscal year too, burdening on the provincial exchequer.
According to the budget documents, the provincial government has enhanced the expenditures (voted) for the Chief Minister Secretariat/House to Rs 367.770 million for next fiscal year 2014-15.
The CM House spent Rs 420 million in revised of budget against the budgetary allocations of Rs 310.644 million in outgoing fiscal year 2013-14.
The government has enhanced expenditures (voted) of Chief Pilot Officer of Chief Minister and Governor to Rs 128.721 million for next fiscal year 2014-15, as expenditure on this account accumulated to Rs 118.464 million in revised estimates against budgetary allocation of Rs 106.649 million in the outgoing fiscal year 2013-14.
Meanwhile, the budget for the Chief Minister’s Helicopter Flight enhanced to Rs 77.586 million in the next fiscal year, which is over Rs 35 million more than outgoing fiscal year’s allocation of Rs 42.340 million.
Despite less number of provincial Cabinet members under 18th Amendment in the Constitution, the Sindh government has increased the budget to Rs 405.203 million for the Ministers (voted expenditures) for next fiscal year 2014-15.
Though, the Sindh government had allocated a sum of Rs 386.206 million in budget for Ministers, but actual expenditures reduced to Rs 271.416 million in outgoing fiscal year.
Despite less expenditure in revised budgetary allocation of Rs 127.683 million in outgoing fiscal year 2013-14, the Sindh government enhanced the allocations to Rs 187.971 million for Advisers for Chief Minister/Special Assistants in the next fiscal year 2014-15.
After the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, the numbers of provincial Ministers were restrained to 25 in the Sindh Cabinet, but PPP government has raised the expenditures for Ministers and Advisers to CM in the annual budget for next fiscal.
According to budget documents, the Sindh Governor’s expenditures (charged) of the Governor of Sindh soared to Rs 42.566 million in revised budget allocations from Rs30.066 million of budget allocations in outgoing fiscal year 2013-14.
However, a sum of Rs 30.566 million allocated for the expenditure (charged) of the Governor of the Sindh for next fiscal year 2014-15.
Meanwhile,a sum of Rs 18.897 million has been allocated for Governor’s State Conveyance and Motors (charged expenditures) for next fiscal year 2014-15, which is more than Rs 16.431 million budgetary allocations of outgoing FY 2013-14, while the same expenditure shot-up to Rs 18.072 million in revised budget.
Overall, the expenditure (charged) of the Governor as well his State Conveyance and Motors shot-up from the budgetary allocations in the outgoing fiscal year 2013-14.
A amount of Rs 79.869 million has been allocated for expenditure (charged) of Military Secretary of Governor for next fiscal year 2014-15 as expenditures were shot upto Rs 128.580 million in revised budget against budget allocation of Rs 114.253 million outgoing FY 2013-14.