PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister’s Secretariat exceeded its necessary and unnecessary expenses by over Rs1.4bn during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, with Rs420mn spent over and above the allocated budget on secret funds, distribution of gifts, and extravagant non-essential spending.
According to official documents, the current fiscal year 2024–25 witnessed an unprecedented rise in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat expenditures. The provincial government allocated a total of Rs1.355091bn under two separate heads for the settled and merged tribal districts. The settled districts received an allocation of Rs1.305091bn, while Rs50mn was earmarked for the tribal districts.
The Chief Minister’s secret fund (Secret Service Expenditures) saw massive overspending, with Rs275mn already spent against an allocation of only Rs100mn, resulting in an over-expenditure of Rs175mn. Similarly, the budget for entertainment and gift distribution was set at Rs35mn, yet a total of Rs105.226mn has already been withdrawn from the treasury—overspending by Rs70.226mn.
In some expenditure heads, where no budget was allocated, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat still withdrew millions from the public treasury. Under utility allowance, despite no allocation, Rs26.398mn has been spent. Likewise, in the superior executive allowance head, without any budget allocation, Rs5.1mn was withdrawn.
Despite zero allocation for Adhoc Relief Allowance 2024, documents reveal that Rs26.333mn was spent. In the electronic communication head, against an allocation of Rs4mn, Rs6.325mn has been spent.
Under travel allowance, the government allocated Rs8mn, but the Secretariat withdrew Rs17.225mn, overshooting the budget by Rs9.225mn.
In POL charges, against a budget of Rs35mn, actual expenditure stood at Rs45.884mn, overspending by Rs10.884mn. Under miscellaneous expenses, the allocation was Rs30mn, but the Secretariat spent Rs54.525mn, going over the budget by Rs24.525mn.
The transport head also witnessed a major breach, with Rs65.541mn spent against the allocated Rs35mn.
In the tribal districts’ allocation, although only Rs50mn was budgeted for the CM House expenses, the Secretariat withdrew a staggering Rs207mn, exceeding the budget by Rs157mn.
Despite repeated attempts, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Saif could not be reached for comment regarding the surge in essential and non-essential spending.
