March 07, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 17, 1428

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MUZAFFARABAD, March 6: A public sector corporation in Azad Kashmir has invited bids for the purchase of three new luxury vehicles at a cost of Rs15 million although it has generated little revenue over the past year, Dawn learnt here on Tuesday.

The approval to buy three five-door Parado jeeps was given by the eight-member board of Azad Kashmir Logging and Sawmills Corporation (AKLASC) early this year.

The board is headed by Minister for Forests Syed Murtaza Ali Gillani, two private members nominated by him and four official members – additional chief secretary (development), secretary of finance, secretary of forests, chief conservator of forests and managing-director of the AKLASC.

The three vehicles to be purchased are meant for AKLASC chairman, secretary of forests and AKLASC managing-director.

Interestingly, the forests secretary is merely an administrative secretary of

AKLASC and already enjoys transport facility like other secretaries provided by the government.

At present, the post of AKLASC managing-director is vacant and the charge of this post is additionally held by secretary of forests Mohammad Ilyas Abbasi.

The forests minister, the sources said, already had a three-door jeep in addition to two other vehicles provided by the government.

The sources said the income of the AKLASC had declined sharply after the Oct 2005 earthquake but it had not deterred the board from buying luxury vehicles.

According to official figures, the income of the AKLASC was Rs570 million in 2004-05 but it declined to Rs240 million in 2005-06.

With only four months remaining in the current fiscal year, the corporation has made an earning of only Rs47.6 million.