A budget of K2 billion for the 2012/13 financial year to maintain six state residences and palaces is raising some eyebrows from political pundits, with some asking the question whether the cash-strapped government can afford this luxury or it was time to sell off some of the assets to reign in expenditure.

The budget has shot to K2 billion from K1,567 billion allocated last year.The state residences, including the famous Sanjika Palace in Blantyre and the New State House in Lilongwe, are

among the six properties used by  the president and the vice president as official residences.

Gift Trapence, executive   director of the Centre for the   Development of People (Cedep), told The Sunday Times he would  like to see the budget for state  residences trimmed.

"One would want to check  whether it is viable to have all these  residences especially in the current   state of our economy. I really think  its high time we reviewed some

of the cutting measures in terms  of different areas including state  residences," Trapence said.

He feels the state should have  residences for the president in the  regions only "and the rest of the  houses were disposed of in some  way.

"As a nation, we probably have  to be saying how do we put to use  the other structures?" he said.

The K2 billion approval  embedded a 10,274 per cent  increase on funding for caring for  grass, pegged at K120.51 million.

This sparked a heated debate in  the just ended sitting of Parliament  where parliamentarians pushed in  vain for an explanation on the sanity  of the allocation.

Nsanje Central MP Francis  Kasaila told parliament he found  the allocation to be extravagant  for a government on the path for  economic recovery.

Finance minister Ken Lipenga  admitted that the funds were meant  for the caring of lawn grounds at  state residences throughout the  country.

Malawi has a number  of state residences, among  them Sanjika Palace,  Mudi House, Zomba State  Residence, Chikoko Bay in  Monkey Bay, Mzuzu State

Lodge, Mtunthama Lodge  and the New State House in  Lilongwe.

The K120 million  allocated to tendering of grass  lawns at state houses has been  refered to as an allocation for "agriculture inputs," a terminology that also came up

in last year's budget.

Until last year, the vote to the presidency was never  discussed in parliament.

Ironically, last year  it was actually the (now)  vice president Khumbo  Kachali then Mzimba South  MP who wondered why the  New State House had been  allocated funding for fertilizer

subsidy and construction  of an irrigation system as if  they carried out agricultural  activities.

He was then told that the  allocation was for families at   state residences who carry out  small farming operations.

Plans to sell the New  State House or turn it into a  profitable venture during the  era of former president Bakili  Muluzi fizzled out and instead  it was used as both parliament

and home for the president.