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Showing posts with label Savings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savings. Show all posts
Raise in KP lawmakers’ pay to cost govt Rs100m
PESHAWAR: An impending increase in salaries, allowances and privileges of the members of provincial assembly will put Rs100 million extra burden on the low-income Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The relevant officials have told Dawn that the government is likely to table the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Act (Amendment) Bill during the current session of the assembly.
The government has approved the house’s special committee’s report recommending increase in the salaries and allowances of the speaker, deputy speaker and MPAs.
Salaries bill to be tabled in current assembly session
The report of the seven-member committee comprising the treasury and opposition members was tabled in the house in March. It had secured unanimous approval.
The report said salaries of the provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries were insufficient and therefore, the government should increase them.
Justifying the proposed pay raise, the committee observed in the report that majority of the MPAs belonged to the middle class and therefore, they could not survive with the existing salaries due to the skyrocketing inflation.
The financial cost of the existing parliamentary democratic system is on the rose with the provincial government spending a huge amount of money on the salaries, allowances, privileges and other facilities of MPAs though majority of the population is living below the poverty line.
The government depends on federal receipts and foreign donors for social development schemes.
An official in the know said the daily expenditure of an assembly sitting was around Rs800,000, excluding the cost of utility services, security, entertainment and other facilities.
“The proposed raise in salaries, allowances and privileges of lawmakers will cost the government an additional Rs100 million per annum,” he said.
The official said the financial cost of the democratic dispensation was increasing day by day but the performance of the members of the provincial assembly was a letdown.
“The assembly met for 105 days in the first parliamentary year though the actual working days are 72. On average, the assembly members met for two hours in a working day to dispose of parliamentary business,” he said.
He said the scenario was the worst in the parliamentary history of the province.
They said members of the ruling coalition led by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf didn’t take interest in the house business with majority of MPAs, ministers and parliamentary secretaries remaining absent from the session frequently.
On Friday, only 10 lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches attended the last hour of the proceedings showing the disinterest of MPAs in the parliamentary business.
As happened during the days of last assembly, the sessions of the current house begin one and half hour late daily.
When contacted, Speaker Asad Qaisar justified the proposed pay Raise in KP lawmakers’ pay to cost govt Rs100m raise for MPAs saying performance of the current assembly was exceptional.
He said the prime duty of lawmakers was to legislate and the house had passed 28 bills during the first parliamentary year.
“It will bring about a revolution in the province if the approved laws are fully implemented,” he said.
The speaker said 90 per cent of the sitting MPAs belonged to the middle class, so they deserved a reasonable pay increase in salary.
He even said he had turned bankrupt.
According to the bill, the value of every MPA’s monthly allowances and privileges will go up to Rs204,040 from the current Rs77,600.
The house’s special committee recommended that traveling allowance (by road) should be increased from Rs3 per kilometre to Rs15 per kilometre and that basic salary of an MPA should be increased from Rs12,000 per month to Rs18,000 per month.
In addition, every MPA should be paid Rs10,000 office maintenance allowance, Rs10,000 telephone allowance, Rs10,000 sumptuary allowance, Rs4,800 utility allowance, Rs30,000 house rent, which is currently zero, Rs9,000 medical allowance, Rs15 per kilometre traveling allowance and Rs1,600 session allowance (per day).
In light of the report, basic salary of the speaker will go up from Rs30,500 per month to Rs80,000 per month.
The committee has proposed that the speaker should get Rs200,000 additional traveling allowance, which is currently nil.
Similarly, it is proposed that the basic salary of the deputy speaker should increase to Rs54,000 per month from Rs27,000 per month.
Currently, the deputy speaker is entitled to business class air travel. The committee has recommended Rs150,000 additional travel allowance for him.
Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2014
CM Khattak enjoys luxury life with three official residences for personal use
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Parvez
Khattak has undermined all claims of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),
about the simplicity and eliminating the VIP culture, by taking
allotments of three official residents for personal use, a private news
channel reported on Friday.
Parvez Khattak had announced, at time of taking over post of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that he would quit luxury life style and not stay in the CM House.
Despite tall claims of the PTI and his own announcement of adopting simple life style, KP’s CM Khattak is enjoying occupation of three official residences, revealed the official record of KP Assembly.
CM Khattak is not only residing in the annexe of CM House, he has also taken allotment of two more official bungalows for personal use, revealed Nighat Orakzaiin KP Assembly.
Opposition’s female member Nighat Orakzai revealed during session of the KP Assembly that PTI’s simplicity claiming ministers are living in four, four Kanals’ official residences.
The opposition members started loud agitation, over Nighat Orakzai’s revelation about the official residences, and made it difficult for the Speaker to continue the session.
Information Minister Shah Farman tried to clear position of the CM Khattak before the house but the opposition members refused to hear any explanation.
Parvez Khattak had announced, at time of taking over post of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that he would quit luxury life style and not stay in the CM House.
Despite tall claims of the PTI and his own announcement of adopting simple life style, KP’s CM Khattak is enjoying occupation of three official residences, revealed the official record of KP Assembly.
CM Khattak is not only residing in the annexe of CM House, he has also taken allotment of two more official bungalows for personal use, revealed Nighat Orakzaiin KP Assembly.
Opposition’s female member Nighat Orakzai revealed during session of the KP Assembly that PTI’s simplicity claiming ministers are living in four, four Kanals’ official residences.
The opposition members started loud agitation, over Nighat Orakzai’s revelation about the official residences, and made it difficult for the Speaker to continue the session.
Information Minister Shah Farman tried to clear position of the CM Khattak before the house but the opposition members refused to hear any explanation.
PTI chief, CM use two copters for same destination
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak flew in two helicopters to Havelian in Abbottabad district to plant a sapling and launch the plantation campaign, an opposition MPA said on Thursday.
“They spent a million rupees by flying in two choppers to Havelian and planted a sapling of just Rs200,” said Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha, an MPA of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from Abbottabad district.
Speaking on a point in the provincial assembly on Thursday, the opposition member said that the PTI-led coalition government on the one hand was making tall claims about austerity, on the other the party chairman and chief minister were spending money extravagantly.
“Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak came to Havelian in two separate helicopters where they spent just 10 minutes to plant a sapling. Is that austerity,” he asked the chair. The lawmaker claimed that Rs1 million were spent on the launching ceremony of the drive.
Parliamentary secretary for environment Fazal Elahi did not contradict the statement of the opposition member. He, however, said that thousands of saplings were planted in the area on that day. He warned that he would expose lavish lifestyle of the PML-N leaders if opposition benches did not stop propaganda against his party leaders.
PTI leadership believes in democracy n respects elected people,all 53 PTI MPAs in KPK have been accommodated and given some appointment.
— Asad Munir (@asadmunir38) December 23, 2013
KP govt forms largest cabinet in province’s history
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has blessed almost all Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) belonging to the ruling alliance with special responsibilities by appointing them ministers, advisers and special assistants to the chief minister and now parliamentary secretaries.
In the latest move, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak appointed two more special assistants and 32 parliamentary secretaries, thus establishing the largest-ever provincial cabinet in the parliamentary history of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The six-party alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) had formed a 12-member cabinet in the beginning after securing victory in the 2002 general election. However, the cabinet was later expanded and the number rose to 18. The Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party coalition government had a 25-member cabinet after the 2008 general election in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI-led government has now 27 members, including the chief minister and two senior ministers in its cabinet.
In the past, Aftab Sherpao had formed the largest cabinet after Pir Sabir Shah’s government was removed as a result of no-trust move in 1993. MPA Sardar Soran Singh of PTI and Abdul Kareem of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) are new special assistants to the chief ministers. Their status would be equal to provincial ministers.
Among the 32 parliamentary secretaries, 11 are women. Their main responsibility would be to answer any query about the ministries concerned in the provincial assembly in the absence of ministers.
However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Israrullah Gandapur clarified that the perks and privileges of the parliamentary secretaries would not be equal to the provincial ministers. “The chief minister has appointed the parliamentary secretaries through executive order, which is his constitutional right,” he contended.
Under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the number of cabinet members is required to be equal to 11 percent of the total strength of provincial assembly. In case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the cabinet should not exceed 15, including the chief minister.
In the 124-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the coalition partners including the PTI, QWP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan have 80 members. Now 61 of them are working as chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants and 32 parliamentary secretaries. The rest have been appointed as chairmen of the district development advisory committees in the 25 districts of the province.
Criticising the expansion of cabinet, former provincial minister and parliamentary party leader of ANP Sardar Hussain Babak told The News that the chief minister has overstepped his authority by expanding the cabinet. He argued that it would put extra burden on the exchequer.
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has blessed almost all Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) belonging to the ruling alliance with special responsibilities by appointing them ministers, advisers and special assistants to the chief minister and now parliamentary secretaries.
In the latest move, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak appointed two more special assistants and 32 parliamentary secretaries, thus establishing the largest-ever provincial cabinet in the parliamentary history of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The six-party alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) had formed a 12-member cabinet in the beginning after securing victory in the 2002 general election. However, the cabinet was later expanded and the number rose to 18. The Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party coalition government had a 25-member cabinet after the 2008 general election in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI-led government has now 27 members, including the chief minister and two senior ministers in its cabinet.
In the past, Aftab Sherpao had formed the largest cabinet after Pir Sabir Shah’s government was removed as a result of no-trust move in 1993. MPA Sardar Soran Singh of PTI and Abdul Kareem of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) are new special assistants to the chief ministers. Their status would be equal to provincial ministers.
Among the 32 parliamentary secretaries, 11 are women. Their main responsibility would be to answer any query about the ministries concerned in the provincial assembly in the absence of ministers.
However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Israrullah Gandapur clarified that the perks and privileges of the parliamentary secretaries would not be equal to the provincial ministers. “The chief minister has appointed the parliamentary secretaries through executive order, which is his constitutional right,” he contended.
Under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the number of cabinet members is required to be equal to 11 percent of the total strength of provincial assembly. In case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the cabinet should not exceed 15, including the chief minister.
In the 124-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the coalition partners including the PTI, QWP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan have 80 members. Now 61 of them are working as chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants and 32 parliamentary secretaries. The rest have been appointed as chairmen of the district development advisory committees in the 25 districts of the province.
Criticising the expansion of cabinet, former provincial minister and parliamentary party leader of ANP Sardar Hussain Babak told The News that the chief minister has overstepped his authority by expanding the cabinet. He argued that it would put extra burden on the exchequer.
