Parliamentary lodges decline in spite of increase in funding

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ISLAMABAD According to documents Ministry of Interior officials submitted to the Senate, a staggering budget exceeding Rs 1003.4 million has been set aside for Parliament Lodge renovations over the last five years.

The lawmakers who live in these lodges still don’t have very good living conditions, even with this large financial commitment. Parliament Lodges’ roofs leak whenever it rains, according to insiders who expose the apparent lack of maintenance for these accommodations.

Government funding for Parliament Lodge renovations has become a contentious issue, raising concerns about the efficiency of the budget distribution. According to government-affiliated sources, some parts of the renovation and repair operations appear to be receiving selective upgrades, while other areas continue to be neglected.

The repairs that are approved under their authority are mainly concentrated on lodges connected to ministers. As per sources within the lodges, despite multiple attempts to reach out to the relevant authorities, including the staff of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), no substantial repairs or maintenance work has been started.

According to official documents, a substantial budget of over Rs 300 million has been set aside for the renovation of Parliament Lodges for the current fiscal year 2023–24. Nevertheless, the worrying pattern persists, with expenditures of Rs 47 million made thus far this year.

Over the past few fiscal years, a consistent pattern has been revealed by the historical expenditure records. According to records, renovation costs exceeded Rs 17 million in 2019–20, then over Rs 19 million in 2020–21, Rs 17 million once more in 2021–22, and Rs 10.6 million in 2022–23. Even with the large cash infusions, the public and parliamentary stakeholders continue to be concerned about the discrepancy between the allotted budgets and the real condition of Parliament Lodges.

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