ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The Senate was informed on Friday that over Rs326 million was spent by the then chief executive secretariat under various heads during the period from October 12, 1999 to December 31, 2002.

In a written reply to a question by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Senator Mohammad Ismail Buledi, the minister in-charge of the prime minister's secretariat said the Chief Executive Secretariat spent Rs75.75 million during October 12, 1999 to June 30, 2000, Rs112.65 million during 2000-01, Rs95.33 million during 2001-02, and Rs42.78 million during the period from July 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002.

Giving further break-up, he said during the three years, a total of Rs29.32 million were spent on the payment of salaries to the officers, Rs33.57 million on salaries of other staff, Rs10.45 million on transportation, Rs15.94 million on communications, Rs2.6 million on office stationery, Rs1.12 million on newspapers and Rs178.26 million under the heads of contingent allowance.

Federal Minister for Housing and Works Syed Safwanullah, while replying to a question of MMA Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed, told the Senate that 16,977 government employees had been provided government accommodations in Islamabad.

The minister further informed the house that presently 556 government-owned quarters were under illegal occupation of the federal government servants, including employees of law enforcement agencies. He said most of them had filed civil suits in various courts of law. He said the ministry was vigorously pursuing the cases in the courts.

In reply to a separate question of Liaquat Ali Bangalzai, the minister said 567 houses had been allotted to the employees of non-entitled departments in relaxation of rules.

In reply to another question by PML-Q Senator Chaudhry Mohammad Anwar Bhinder, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Chaudhry Nourez Shakoor told the upper house that the Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) earned a net profit of Rs16.775 billion during the year 2001-02.

The minister said during the above-mentioned period the income of the OGDCL was Rs41.85 billion and the total expenditure was Rs25.07 billion.