The Punjab government plans to purchase 79 brand-new luxury vehicles, costing Rs 612.475 million, for provincial ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
The provincial government has reportedly been requested by the foreign affairs ministry to acquire 15 VVIP vehicles, including bulletproof cars, to accommodate the 12 prime ministers expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad on October 15.
According to senior officials in the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), if the current government approves, the finance department will release the necessary funds and authorize the advance withdrawal of Rs 612.475 million.
The Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) informed the Standing Committee on Finance & Development that the Punjab government had recently appointed 29 parliamentary secretaries and assigned them various departments. Under the Ordinance, each parliamentary secretary is entitled to an official vehicle for both official and personal use.
The ACS noted that 20 of the newly appointed parliamentary secretaries have already received vehicles from the S&GAD transport pool. However, nine more vehicles are required to meet the needs of the remaining parliamentary secretaries.
Furthermore, the ACS highlighted the need for 20 additional vehicles to serve as reserves, anticipating possible expansions in the provincial cabinet and parliamentary secretaries in the future.
