ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Housing and Works has demanded the grant of a sum of Rs 9,179 million to meet the requirements of the ministry and attached departments for the current fiscal year 2022-23.

However, the “Finance Division has allocated a sum of Rs 5,915 million” as per the austerity measures for the current financial year which was conveyed to the ministry while budgetary allocation has already been finalized and approved in June 2022, an official in the Ministry told APP.

The official said that Finance Division already imposed austerity on budget allocation and reduced the budgetary allocation by Rs 55.163 million.

To a question, he said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was responsible for the maintenance and renovation of Pak Secretariat Islamabad. Therefore, no fund has been spent on Ministry’s renovation.

He said the Finance Division had already slashed the budget while making allocations. Hence, no funds had been surrendered to Finance Division and all the funds allocated during 2021-22 in relevant heads were utilized by the general section.

The official said the “Pak PWD has started sending notices to the allottees of government accommodation in Sector I-9/4 about payment of electric meter bills for water motors installed at residential blocks.”

He said the Finance Division had allocated funds for payment of utilities in the relevant heads of accounts of the users while utility bills of the residential accommodation including hostels, rest houses and judicial residences should be paid by the users.