Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Former President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Shahid Rasheed Butt on Saturday demanded a complete ban on creating of new districts as it is not beneficial for the masses or economy. Establishing new districts satisfy the ego of the politicians and burden the national exchequer by almost 2 to 3 billion rupees which is wastage of resources, he said in statement issued here.
Shahid Rasheed said that our total debt has risen to Rs36 trillion due to wasteful expenditures which is enough to bankrupt the country. He said that different governments have created around forty unnecessary districts to please their party leaders burdening exchequer by almost Rs100 billion annually which could have been used to improve the quality of life of people.
The business leader said that important issues like health, education, clean drinking water and sanitation are ignored to make symbolic mega projects and new districts for popularity which is wastage of scarce resources. The cost of a new district is somewhere between two to three billion rupees which provide satisfaction to politicians and increase the size of bureaucracy while their pays, allowances, residence, medical expenditure and pensions cost a lot.
Shahid Rasheed said that last year top government functionaries claimed that circular debt was Rs38 billion per month during the former regime which has been reduced to Rs8 to 10 billion.
