Taxpayer money being wasted, observes PHC

PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) observed on Thursday that taxpayer money was being wasted.

“On the one hand, the rulers are visiting foreign countries for aid and on the other public tax money is being wasted,” Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan remarked during hearing of a case about wastage of huge public tax money on the sewage treatments plants, which are still non-functional.

Following the court’s order, the chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa submitted report about cost of the funds on the sewage treatment plants.

During hearing, Amir Latif, special secretary Local Government Department, submitted that under the report, Rs470 million were allocated for the establishment of four sewage treatment plants in the provincial metropolis in 1990.

He said that Rs185 million had been spent for acquisition of land of the treatment plants. He said the remaining amount was allocated for infrastructure of the plants.

However, he explained before the court that the treatment plants did not get the required results due to certain reasons.

After examining the report, Justice Qaiser Rashid remarked that the taxpayer money is being wasted like water. “Who is responsible for waste of such a huge money?” the judge questioned the special secretary.

He observed that if the State Bank of Pakistan compared the value of the allocated fund, then Rs470 million would be equal to Rs47 billion currently.

The court declared that the report would be properly examined as to draw the future line of action for such important matters.

About restoration of the two dysfunctional sewage treatment plants, the special secretary Local Government Department informed that work on the two projects is about to start and the secretary Local Government had also issued direction to WSSP for taking control of these projects. The NAB KP, on the court direction, has also started an inquiry into the case.