Pakistan

Caretaker Punjab Govt Approves Rs. 8.8 Crore to Upgrade PM Shehbaz’s Helipad

The Standing Committee of the Punjab Cabinet on Law and Order (SCCLO) has authorized a sum of around Rs. 88 million for refurbishing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s helipad in Lahore.

Under Parvez Elahi’s tenure, the SCCLO approved the upgrading cost and agreed that it would be paid ‘in principle’ from a block allotment of the home ministry, subject to legal and official requirements.

The deputy commissioner also presented an approximate cost estimate for the pavement, control room, lighting system, generators, and civil works for the helipad at the second meeting of the caretaker SCCLO on 22 March 2023, which was accepted by the SCCLO.

Several senior officials, however, are skeptical of this expenditure, which they see as excessive at a time when the country is in financial distress. Critics claim that it is unnecessary spending, especially because the government is attempting to secure financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while imposing austerity measures across the system.

They believe that such costs, which provide little value to the general public, should be reduced and the funds allocated to more deserving public welfare programs.

Furthermore, reports indicate that the helipad is being renovated so that the Prime Minister (PM)’s helicopter may also land in Lahore at night. In light of these revelations, prominent Punjab bureaucrats have requested that the PM take note of this spending and set an example by redirecting funds to a more worthy cause.

Via Friday Times

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Published by
Asma Sajid