03 May 2004	Monday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, May 2: The NWFP government is expected to spend over Rs 8.5 million on the face-lift of the main block of the finance department, NWFP, said sources.

The scheme includes construction of new floors, laying wall-to-wall carpets in offices of some senior officers, fitting tiles and sanitary ware in bathrooms, and renovation and repair works.

The work it also includes making additions by erecting railing made of iron and bricks between the pillars on the front side of the main building to make it appear identical to the adjacent Chief Secretary's block, the Planning and Development Department block and an anotehr under-construction block.

"The face-lifting of the finance department, NWFP, is meant to make its exterior and appearance identical to the other three blocks situated to its right, left and front," said a development planner.

While the chief secretary's block, constructed a few years back, had cost the public exchequer over Rs 45 million in total, the new block is being built at an estimated cost of over Rs 55 million for the total project. These are yet estimates.

Some senior government functionaries, when approached by Dawn, supported the development work to improve the appearance of the finance department building, the lower grade staff have said it was mere wastage of valuaable public funds.

A group of lower grade employees of the department had recently staged a demonstration in front of the office of the provincial finance minister Siraj-ul-Haq to condemn the execution of the scheme.

Eyewitnesses said that they protesting class-IV employees raised slogans and took exception to what they said was the "unwarranted" spending spree by the provincial government.

Official sources said that some of the senior bureaucrats insisted that the project was imperative. "The finance department," said the source, "is frequently visited by representatives of foreign donor agencies, and hence, it is important that the building should be of high quality and nicely renovated to impart a good impression to the foreigners."