RAWALPINDI: In line with the prime minister’s directives, the provincial governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Islamabad capital territory administration have sought details of official accommodations from the inspectors general of the police, Board of Revenue, all administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners.

According to sources, the prime minister office had directed the Punjab, KP governments and the commissioner of Islamabad to provide the information in respect of all departments, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies/organisations, divisional and district administration and police of respective provinces and territory.

The official accommodations included commissioner houses, deputy inspectors general houses, deputy commissioner houses, district police officer (DPO) houses, circuit houses, rest houses, guest houses camp offices and any other facility.

The sources said the decision to seek the details of official accommodations was taken at a cabinet meeting on Aug 24.

The PM office had also directed the authorities concerned to consider the matter as most important and top priority and strictly follow the time period in sending the details of accommodations.

The sources said the format given by the authorities concerned contained the name of the department, facility, city, location (urban or rural) current use, total area, covered area, accommodation with number of rooms, allied facilities, number of employees, annual expenditures and annual return or income.

The copy of format also contained the name of province and territory which should be duly signed by the chief secretary or the chief commissioner concerned before sending it to the authorities concerned.

In Rawalpindi, some senior police officers who had already been posted out of the district were still occupying the official residences despite performing their duty in other districts. The shortage of accommodations has been a concern for the police officers who are posted to the district from other areas.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018