KARACHI: Despite the province’s poor economic conditions, widespread poverty, and high unemployment, the Sindh government has finalized preparations to purchase new and expensive vehicles for hundreds of its officers.
In a recent Sindh Cabinet meeting, formal approval was granted for the procurement of new vehicles. Following this, the Department of Services, General Administration, and Coordination sent separate letters to all commissioners and senior members of the Board of Revenue, directing them to provide details of the vehicles needed by the concerned officers.
According to copies of these letters obtained by Express, the current official vehicles used by Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners (Mukhtarkar), and other provincial officers are outdated, making it difficult for them to perform their official duties. Consequently, the officials were instructed to report their needs for new vehicles immediately.
The letter sent to the Board of Revenue outlines the plan to purchase expensive vehicles for assistant commissioners of various sub-divisions or tehsils. As per the policy detailed in the letter, 1300 cc Toyota Yaris cars will be acquired for assistant commissioners or mukhtars working in urban tehsils or sub-divisions and at divisional and district headquarters. For mukhtars or assistant commissioners working in rural taluks or sub-divisions, Hilux Four by Four Double Cabin Standard Edition vehicles will be purchased.
It is worth noting that Sindh province comprises 31 districts and 150 tehsils or sub-divisions, with Karachi alone having 7 districts and 31 sub-divisions. The price of a 1300 cc Toyota Yaris in Pakistan ranges from Rs. 43 lakhs to Rs. 55 lakhs, while a Hilux Four by Four Double Cabin costs over one crore.
Additionally, even more expensive vehicles are designated for the deputy commissioners of the province. According to a World Bank report titled “Social Protection Delivery System in Sindh,” the province has an alarming rate of food insecurity among children and women, with a rate of 49.9 percent, which is higher than other provinces in Pakistan.
The World Bank report on health conditions in Sindh indicates that the province has a higher rate of maternal mortality during pregnancy and childbirth than Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and a higher under-five mortality rate compared to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Renowned economist Qaiser Bengali criticized the purchase of new vehicles for provincial officials as non-productive expenditure, suggesting that the federal government and all provinces should avoid such spending due to the country’s poor economic conditions.
However, Provincial Minister for Development and Planning Syed Nasir Hussain Shah defended the vehicle purchases, stating that it is a necessary expenditure and that funds had already been allocated for it in the current financial year’s budget.