ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of huge government residences occupied by officers of different departments.

These government residences are located in upscale areas of major cities across the country and the chief justice has called reports from the provincial chief secretaries within 10 days.

The Sargodha Commissioner House tops the list of the large bungalows under use of bureaucrats and senior police officers. Spread over 104 kanals, it is the country’s largest government residence. Thirty-three staff members have been deployed for its maintenance and security.

It is followed by the mansion of the Sahiwal Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) which is spread over 98 kanals. The residences of DCOs of Mianwali and Faisalabad are of 95 and 92 kanals, respectively.

Spread over 104 kanals, Sargodha Commissioner House with 33 staffers for its upkeep tops the list of such places

Millions are spent annually on the maintenance and security of the government residences spread over an area of 2,600 kanals across Punjab alone. While almost 30,000 government and private employees have been deployed at these residences all the expenses are borne by the government.

If sold, these properties can fetch billions of rupees. The federal cabinet in its first meeting had considered a proposal to hand over government properties and buildings to the Privatisation Commission for their sale to investors.

The government has divided its properties and buildings into three categories which included assets that would be privatised, leased and outsourced.

Total area of official residences of just seven DIGs and 32 SSPs is 860 kanals.

According to details, the Gujranwala DIG’s residence is spread over 70 kanals followed by the Sargodha DIG (40 kanals), Rawalpindi DIG, Faisalabad DIG and Dera Ghazi Khan DIG (20 kanals each), Multan DIG 18 kanals and Lahore DIG (15 kanals).

The Mianwali SSP has the largest residence among the SSPs with an area of 70 kanals, followed by Rajanpur SSP (37 kanals), Sheikhupura and Bahawalnagar SSPs (32 kanals each), Attock SSP (29 kanals), Gujranwala SSP (25 kanals), Rahim Yar Khan SSP (22 kanals), Vehari and Kasur SSPs (20 kanals each), Jhang SSP (18 kanals), Khanewal and Bahawalpur SSPs (15 kanals each), Pakpattan SSP (14 kanals), Multan SSP (13 kanals), Hafizabad, Chakwal and Narowal SSPs (10 kanals each), Sialkot SSP (nine kanals), Gujarat and Bhakkar SSPs (eight kanals each), Layyah, Jhelum and Khushab SSPs (six kanals each) and Toba Tek Singh and Rawalpindi SSPs (five kanals each).

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2018