LAHORE: Hundreds of confirmed, contracted, and daily wage employees of the Sports Board of Punjab (SBP) have not received their salaries for the last two months due to a paucity of funds.

The SBP employs 280 people from BS-1 to BS-19, and the salary crisis has hit the lower cadre employees hard, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.

While the salary crisis persists, the SBP is bound to hold the ‘Khailta Punjab Games’ on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and they are working round the clock to make arrangements for the games, scheduled to be held from Jan 30 to Feb 3.

An SBP official told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that the institution was facing this problem due to a shortage of funds because a rented property of the SBP had not received rent from an Arabic organisation for the last two years. The amount of rent has now increased to Rs400 million.

The annual grant from the Punjab government is insufficient to meet the expenditures of the SBP, and the funds shortage was previously covered through the rented property.

However, the large company, which occupies sufficient space for its offices in the National Hockey Stadium, has not been paying rent for the last two years. This situation has left the SBP unable to pay salaries.

“Several reminders have been sent to the private company, but it has not responded positively. The day the SBP receives the amount from the private company, which is Rs400 million, salaries will be paid to all employees the very next day,” the official further said.

A low-grade employee told Dawn that it was the first time even confirmed employees of the SBP had not received their salaries.

Despite facing financial problems, the staff of the SBP is still working to hold the games. Up to 2,000 athletes will gather in Lahore to compete in different disciplines. It remains to be seen how the depressed staff of the SBP will manage the event.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2025