LAHORE: Otherwise claiming simplicity and saving money in each project, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is costing the provincial exchequer Rs1.7 million a day, says opposition leader Mahmoodur Rasheed.

In a report released by him on the “spendthrift CM,” he said that under him the Punjab government spent Rs21 million on bullet proof vehicle for him and Rs24 million on six double cabin vehicles for him.

A massive sum of Rs8.5 billion was spent on NA-120 – a constituency, where Kalsoom Nawaz won elections after disqualification of Nawaz Sharif – during the by-election.

Funds, he said, were taken away from vital sectors like health and clean drinking water to spend on NA-120 for political purpose to win elections.

Another additional amount of Rs15 million was spent on security of Jati Umra.

Drawing figures from the budgetary documents, the opposition leader claimed that two lawyers – Saleem Haris and Azam Nazir – got Rs8 million from the provincial exchequer for contesting cases on behalf of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Punjab cabinet had hired a helicopter from the federal government which cost Rs120 million to the provincial government.

The Punjab government has fixed a target of Rs544 billion for tax collection whereas it was able to collect only Rs456 billion.

“The Punjab chief minister has neither been able to end loadshedding in the country as promised by him nor has he been able to complete development projects. He inaugurated a number of projects which were closed. He has also not been able to provide any relief to the common man as reflected in his failure to achieve Rs6 billion subsidy target in the province,” says the report.

He has used official resources for personal use as shown by the payments on additional security of Jati Umra and payments to the lawyers for contesting personal cases, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2018