LAHORE, April 27: The federal government has disbursed special funds among district governments as “referendum expenses” though provincial finance department officials are “unaware” of the move.

The funds will be utilized by Nazimeen and councillors for arranging banners and posters, motivating and transporting voters to polling stations and making arrangements for cold water and shade, etc. there, it is learnt.

The government has been giving the impression that these expenses will be met by various traders, industrialists and politicians supporting Gen Pervez Musharraf’s policies.

In this regard, Privatization Commission chairman Altaf Saleem had at an APTMA meeting on Thursday urged its members to set up polling booths on their factories’ premises to facilitate workers to cast their votes though the Election Commission had completed the polling scheme 10 days ago.

The finance department officials decline they have received any special funds for referendum purposes. “Allocations to various districts are being made in routine and according to the budget, though some districts are getting extra funds for special projects.”

The officials also claim that no funds to execute the projects announced by Gen Musharraf during his referendum campaign have so far been received.

Even if funds for the projects are released within few days, these could be utilized only in the next financial year, they add.

The election commission authorities say as many as 86,962 polling booths have been set up at 46,008 polling stations across the Punjab, excluding Islamabad, for 40 millions voters of 18 years of age.

Of them, they say, 36,888,737 have been registered by the Nadra as voters, while 3,000,000 are those who could not be registered due to one reason or the other.

They say only those industrial units have been selected for setting up polling booths which have 500 or more employees.

Meanwhile, some people are attempting to use the referendum issue to grind their own axe. The proprietor of a pharmaceutical company on Saturday approached the local election commission authorities for the establishment of a polling booth at his unit where only a couple of workers are employed.

He was told that his request could not be entertained as polling scheme had been completed and staff, ballot papers, etc., been allocated.

To a query, the man claimed that he was a batch-mate of Gen Pervez Musharraf and wanted to oblige his friend by arranging as much votes cast for him as were possible.

Some industrialists contacted by this reporter said they did not dare to set up polling booths on the premises of their factories for fear of any backlash by anti-Musharraf regimes in the future.

They denied that any government official had approached/ pressurized them to ensure casting of votes by their employees in the referendum to improve the turn out.