LAHORE: There is a mad race among the newly-inducted Punjab ministers, special assistants and advisers for getting official cars, offices and residences which, to their sheer disappointment, are not available as yet.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had on last Sunday inducted 12 ministers, two special assistants and three advisers in his cabinet, which he kept tiny throughout his present tenure, swelling its number to 42. The cabinet includes 32 ministers, five each special assistants and advisers to the chief minister.

And it is reported that the first ‘issue’ the new cabinet members have taken up immediately after their induction is to get official cars, residences and offices.

“The major sifarish (recommendation) for the Punjab government circles these days is to oblige the cabinet members with the three items which are considered a status symbol. They will get them but not immediately. We are making arrangements,” a senior official told Dawn on Saturday.

According to insiders, the Punjab government’s transport wing does not have any car for any minister for it had last made purchases for the cabinet in 2007.

To handle the immense pressure the wing, which was not prepared for the expansion of the cabinet, has reportedly decided to buy 17 new 1300cc cars.

For the purpose, it contacted a car manufacturing company that expressed its inability to deliver the whole consignment immediately.

“If you want to buy the cars at their actual prices, they will be delivered next year and for that you will have to get them booked,” it was clarified.

In the open market, the reply was that the government would have to pay premium (extra charges locally known as “own”) if it wanted the cars delivery without any delay.

Now, sources say, immediate buying at higher rates is also not possible because of the cobweb of red-tape. The wing is required to make cost estimate, have it approved by the cabinet, and, then send it to the finance department for funds release.

It also needs time to provide offices to the ministers.

Sources say the Ministers’ Block built during Pervaiz Elahi’s government adjacent to the Civil Secretariat, which Shahbaz Sharif wanted to sell after he assumed power in 2008, has now been adopted by him thanks to his team’s failure to find a suitable buyer.

Having 48 rooms, it has been renovated and properly secured by the law enforcement agencies. But 32 ministers and other cabinet members will be allotted the rooms only after an approval by the chief minister. A summary sent to him is pending a decision.

The colonial Civil Secretariat has a Ministers’ Block but a majority of the cabinet members has offices elsewhere in the city. And the plan is to shift them all to the new block.

The biggest problem appears to be the official residences which are considered the top most symbol of status for a minister.

Sources say there is a rush of telephone calls, recommendation letters and personal references of the ministers to get the residences.

But, it is impossible to give them any residence because there are only 11, all already occupied.

“It is the chief minister who will decide whether to get residences for the minister on rent, or not. Till then, the officials concerned are under immense pressure,” a source said.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2016