DNA

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 5 – Former President 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 a statement issued here today, the business leader said that our total debt has risen to Rs36 trillion due to wasteful expenditures which is enough to bankrupt the country.

Shahid Rasheed Butt 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.

He 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.

He 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.

However, the current government added Rs538 billion to the circular debt in the last two years with the addition of Rs45 per month in the debt pushing it above Rs2.1 trillion which is a record.

The government has broken the record of the PML-N led government in adding to the circular debt and now those responsible for it will punish honest consumer for it which is a painless solution for those in power, he said.