Latest news with #Governor'sHouse
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Police officers martyred in shooting in Dera Ismail Khan
Two police officers were martyred in a gun attack by terrorists in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police and government officials said on Wednesday. According to police, one terrorist was killed and two others were injured in retaliatory fire. A Kalashnikov rifle along with ammunition was recovered from the slain militant. DSP Kulachi Inam Khan confirmed that the officers were on their way to the city to purchase household groceries when gunmen opened fire on them. Police swiftly responded and cordoned off the area. Read: Two terrorists killed in Tank IBO A joint search operation by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and district police is currently underway in the area. Funeral prayers for the martyred personnel were offered at Line Police Headquarters, attended by senior officers from the police and CTD. In a statement issued by the Governor's House, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack and paid tribute to the fallen officers. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the elevation of the martyrs' ranks. 'The sacrifices of police martyrs for peace and security will not go in vain,' said Governor Kundi. He added that the police have made immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and that the province shares the grief of the victims' families. Read More: Three TTP terrorists killed in Lakki Marwat IBO In recent months, violence has escalated in parts of K-P. Last month, a police operation in Lakki Marwat's Kot Kashmir area left three suspected militants and one police constable dead. In a separate incident in May, two police officers were killed and one injured when armed assailants attacked a check post in Bannu, using explosives to breach the gate, according to the CTD.
Express Tribune
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SHC orders opening of Governor House for acting governor
The Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC), comprising Justice K.K. Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, heard Acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah's petition challenging the locking of Governor House offices. The court ordered the immediate reopening of these offices and directed the principal secretary to submit a compliance report by June 23. During the urgent hearing, the bench granted acting governor immediate access to the Sindh Governor's official residence. The court specifically ordered the unlocking of all offices (excluding private residential quarters) and restrained the principal secretary from obstructing the acting governor's access. The court also directed that a copy of the judicial order be transmitted to the President of Pakistan and the Principal Secretary of the Governor's House, Sindh. In the petition, it was averred that since assuming charge, the Acting Governor, Owais Qadir Shah, has been denied entry to the Governor's House for official duties which is a violation of Article 104 of the Constitution. Governor Kamran Tessori has been abroad since June 2. Acting Governor of Sindh, Owais Qadir Shah, informed the court that a meeting on law and order in the was scheduled for today, specifically to discuss matters related to Muharram. The home minister, secretary, IG Sindh, and other officials reached for the meeting. However, the principal secretary stated that the governor had taken the office keys with him. Owais Qadir Shah stated that this was an act of considering the Governor's House as their personal lounge. He cited the Constitution, which clearly states that in the absence of the governor, the acting governor can perform duties. Owais Qadir Shah said, he would write to the chief minister, highlighting that this was a mockery of the Constitution.
Express Tribune
15-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
CM, governor offices overspent budget
The expenses of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's two top constitutional offices — the Chief Minister's Secretariat and the Governor's House — have soared dramatically during the outgoing fiscal year, with both institutions overspending by hundreds of millions of rupees. According to official budget documents, the Chief Minister's Secretariat exceeded its allocated budget by Rs858.5 million during the outgoing fiscal year 2024-25. The initially allocated amount of Rs805 million swelled to actual spending of Rs1.663 billion. For the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26, Rs1.419 billion has been earmarked for the Secretariat. A significant portion of this spending went to staff salaries and allowances, with Rs448.5 million initially allocated but Rs504.6 million ultimately spent. In the next fiscal year, Rs537.5 million has been allocated for this head. Spending on gifts and entertainment also raised eyebrows. While Rs35 million was originally set aside, actual expenditures reached Rs110 million — more than three times the allocation. For FY 2025-26, Rs38.5 million has been sanctioned. For "Secret Services," Rs50 million had been budgeted, but actual spending hit Rs200 million mark. The new allocation for this category is Rs100 million. Similarly, fuel allowances exceeded the budgeted Rs35 million, with Rs60 million spent; Rs38.5 million is proposed for next year. On the other Governor's House also overspent its original allocation. Against a budget of Rs507.6 million for fiscal year 2024-25, actual spending rose to Rs606.7 million — an excess of Rs99.1 million. For the upcoming fiscal year, Rs591.6 million has been earmarked. Utility bills for the Governor's House had an allocation of Rs41.3 million, but only Rs800,000 was spent. However, Rs45.4 million is proposed for fiscal year 2025-26. Travel allowances were budgeted at Rs16.2 million but reached Rs20.7 million; the new budget proposes Rs17.8 million. General expenses also saw an overrun, with Rs97.8 million budgeted and Rs109 million spent. For the coming year, Rs107.6 million has been allocated. Secret service expenses in this category doubled from the allocated Rs10 million to Rs20 million, with Rs11 million proposed for fiscal year 2025-26. Entertainment and gifts at the Governor's House cost Rs20.1 million, surpassing the allocated Rs16.1 million. The proposed allocation for next year is Rs17.7 million. These figures have sparked concern among fiscal observers, who argue that such extravagant public spending, especially on discretionary items like gifts and entertainment, warrants closer scrutiny amidst the province's ongoing financial challenges.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Board approves price increases for inmate-built affordable housing program
A home produced by the South Dakota Governor's House program. (Courtesy of South Dakota Housing Development Authority) The price of homes built by South Dakota inmates and sold to income-eligible residents across the state will increase again this year. The South Dakota Housing Development Authority Board voted unanimously Tuesday in Pierre to increase the prices for Governor's Houses, which are constructed at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield and shipped across the state to eligible buyers. There are two- and three-bedroom homes, as well as multi-family 'DakotaPlex' options for towns with 5,000 people or fewer, and day care models. Homebuyers can purchase a Governor's House if they have an income of $71,540 or less for a one- or two-person household, or $81,760 for households of three or more. Developers can buy and place the homes, as well, if they're later sold to people who fall within the income guidelines. Buyers are responsible for finding a lot, getting a building permit, buying appliances, laying flooring and hooking up utilities. Prices have crept up since 2020, when a buyer could get a two-bedroom Governor's House for $50,200. Most of this year's increases align with the program's income limit increase, said Mike Harsma, who heads the Governor's House program for South Dakota Housing. The income limits were raised by just over 10%. On July 1, the start of the 2025 fiscal year, the homes will be priced as follows: Two bedroom: $86,000, up from $75,900, or a 13.3% increase. Three bedroom: $96,000, up from $89,900, or a 6.8% increase. Dakotaplex two bedroom: $97,000, up from $89,900, or a 7.9% increase. Dakotaplex three bedroom: $106,000, up from $99,900, or a 6.1% increase. Day care: $96,000, up from $89,900, or a 6.8% increase. The increasing cost of materials continues to contribute to home prices, Harsma added. Harsma told the board that the authority is on track to sell about 120 units this fiscal year, selling 91 through the end of April – most of which were three-bedroom units. The authority typically sells less than five two-bedroom units a year, said Executive Director Chas Olson. A 'handful' of the program's 58 building pads in Springfield can only accommodate two-bedroom homes, which is part of the reason the authority continues to build and sell homes despite their low interest. Most of the two-bedroom sales are sold as elderly housing, Olson said. 'So we want to still kind of have that option open, but we've certainly talked at length about the possibility of cutting that two-bedroom unit,' Olson said. Harsma also hopes to see an improved lead time. Between 2022 and 2024, it took three years to complete and deliver an order. Harsma told board members the program lowered its lead time to 18 months this winter and 'we're hoping to lower it again as we get further into the summer.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prices rise for prison-built Governor's House units
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — It's going to cost more to buy one of the housing or daycare units that inmates build at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. The South Dakota Housing Development Authority board on Tuesday voted to raise prices for the various buildings offered for sale through the Governor's House program. A two-bedroom home will rise from the current $75,900 to $86,000, while a three-bedroom model will increase from the current $89,900 to $96,000. Daycare units will likewise rise to $96,000. Buyers are responsible for providing the lots, foundations, appliances and utility connections. The Governor's House program also offers DakotaPlex rental units that are sold to communities with populations under 5,000. Two-bedroom complexes that currently cost $89,900 will rise to $97,000, while three-bedroom complexes that now cost $99,900 will increase to $107,000. Then-Gov. Bill Janklow started the program in 1995 as a way to make more affordable housing available for seniors, low- to medium-income households and people with disabilities. Since then, more than 3,300 units have been sold. Because the buildings are constructed at the Springfield prison, the wait time has been as long as two years. According to Mike Harsma, who oversees the program, that's now down to 18 months and the hope is to further reduce it. One change is that lunch is now served on site, reducing the downtime each day to an hour or so. Having inmates leave for lunch break and return took an hour and a half many days. 'Fifteen minutes when you're talking about 150 employees makes a difference,' Harsma told the board. During the first 10 months of the current state fiscal year, there have been 91 sales. The production target for the full year is 120. 'That's pretty much right on track where we were two years ago,' Harsma said. Of those sold this year, three-bedroom models were by far chosen the most, Harsma said. A chart showed sales of 40 normal-lot three-bedrooms and 24 narrow-lot three-bedroom units, compared to five of the two-bedroom models and 22 DakotaPlex rental units. A board member wondered Tuesday whether it's worth continuing to offer the two-bedroom house. The authority's executive director, Chas Olson, said Springfield prison has 58 building pads and a handful of them are designed specifically for the two-bedroom model. 'We certainly have talked extensively about cutting the two-bedroom unit,' Olson said. He explained that many buyers decide they prefer having the extra space of a three-bedroom for the relatively affordable additional cost. Olson told KELOLAND News afterward that the new prices take effect immediately for all new purchases. He added, 'However, if our sales reps have been working with customers previously they will have until Friday to lock in the old price.' At A Glance: Governor's House program sales 2024 – 66 houses, 8 DakotaPlex 2023 – 83 houses, 44 DakotaPlex 2022 – 140 houses, 18 DakotaPlex 2021 – 160 houses, 12 DakotaPlex 2020 – 109 houses, 5 DakotaPlex 2019 – 102 houses, 3 DakotaPlex 2018 – 95 houses 2017 – 94 houses 2016 – 118 houses 2015 – 160 houses 2014 — 103 houses Source: South Dakota Housing Development Authority Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
