Rs300 million approved for repairs and maintenance at PM Office, staff colony despite austerity restrictions

The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet cleared Rs300 million on Thursday for upkeep work at the Prime Minister's Office and the Prime Minister's Staff Colony, even though the government has tightened spending. Profit by Pakistan Today reported that the money was channelled as a supplementary grant to the Capital Development Authority, citing a Finance Ministry statement.

The Finance Ministry did not say whether the allocation was exempt from the current curbs, which bar most purchases except development spending. The ECC took up this item among other supplementary requests during a session that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presided over on Thursday.

In the fourth month of the fiscal year, the committee approved close to Rs57 billion in supplementary grants, covering government bodies, infrastructure works, public-sector reorganisation and several other items. The statement did not describe the repair work or break down the spending for the two facilities.