The government's reported decision to give one additional plot of land to each Grade-22 bureaucrat has understandably been criticised in the National Assembly, by both the treasury and the opposition members on a point of order raised by PPP lawmaker Afzal Chand. Chand's contention was that it would amount to discrimination, not only against ordinary government officials; it would also be discriminatory to the public at large.
The Deputy Speaker, Faisal Karim Kundi, who was presiding over the assembly session at the time, asked the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to constitute a committee to look into the matter, and address the genuine grievances of the members. The bipartisan consensus, witnessed in the National Assembly on the issue, is reflective of the strong sentiment among the lawmakers against the government's decision, which the government should respect.
During the debate, MNAs representing different political parties maintained, in essence, that the Pakistani nation cannot afford to give such "incentives" to the elite in a country where other segments of society are facing countless socio-economic challenges. During the debate, an MNA urged the government to launch an inquiry into the lifestyle of top bureaucrats, incommensurate with their known and legitimate sources of income.
Allotment of plots of land to high bureaucrats, as well as to other stakeholders, at rates far below the prevailing market prices has come to be accepted as normal practice in Pakistan, as in many other Third World countries, though the extent and frequency of such state patronage seems to have been more widespread in Pakistan, particularly during the military rule, though such malpractices have been common also during the "democratic" interregnums.
At issue here is the discriminatory dispensing of patronage to benefit favourite individuals or groups, which has created a new class of stakeholders. High bureaucrats, being the implementers of government policies, wield a lot of clout because of their official position, hence the need, presumably, for the political leadership to be on their right side.
Many would argue that dispensing of such discriminatory patronage by a PPP-led government does not accord with the political ideology of even-handed justice and fair play traditionally espoused by the PPP. What makes this an act of unjustified patronage is the possibility of re-sale at astronomical rates of plots allotted at throwaway prices.
In the process, this has generated a multi-billion real estate market in the country, sending land prices skyrocketing and putting the purchase of a plot far beyond the financial reach of a common citizen. Many urban land and housing markets in Pakistan are dominated by a small number of rich and powerful individuals and groups who manipulate prices to restrict a majority of the citizens' access to affordable land and housing.
This has also contributed to an inflation spiral in our country. In the past, such land allotments were often used to build residential accommodation, mostly for personal use, but with the passage of time, real estate has attracted well-connected individuals and groups, out to make a fast buck.
Meanwhile, by acting as developers, the government agencies have failed to meet their target of providing land or housing to more than a token proportion of the needy population. The private sector too has been unable (or unwilling) to meet the needs of the low-income groups. Land has gradually become increasingly commercialised, even in areas formerly considered marginal, thanks largely to policies pursued by successive governments.
This has further curtailed future options for the low-income groups, thereby jeopardising social stability in the long run. In fact, the high opportunity cost has made the allotment of land to low-income groups almost impossible to sustain. This public-private "partnership" should also create space for the low- and middle-income groups. Criticism of the government's decision in the National Assembly is quite justified because the move is discriminatory, in spirit and also against PPP's political ideology.
Secondly, a committee comprising MNAs and non-bureaucrats of impeccable credentials should be constituted to ascertain the number of residential plots officially allotted to serving the retired bureaucrats over the years, or the number of plots acquired by them during service in their own or dependants' name, whether or not currently in their possession. The government should hold a transparent inquiry into such shady allotments.
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