Law will make access to information easier and lead to greater transparency in the dealings of government. PHOTO: FILE
The provincial government will table a law on freedom of information, said Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq on Monday.
Speaking on the floor of the house, Haq said the law will make access to information easier and lead to greater transparency in the dealings of government departments. He was responding to members’ complaints while discussing their demands for grants.
The minister said information about why projects are delayed is not available and corruption prevails because of the absence of such a law. “Once enacted, a freedom of information law would put an end to various complaints about government departments,” Haq said.
He informed the house that the provincial government also planned to put all tenders of the Civil and Work (C&W) department online for greater transparency. Currently, no one is satisfied with the tender system of the department and it is also a drain on funds, the minister said.
Talking about the finance department, Haq said the government is trying to make the workings of the department more transparent and has held a consultative meeting with former finance secretaries. It will also hold briefings with all departments regarding their monetary spending, Haq added.
The finance minister proposed setting up a suggestion cell so that plausible proposals put forward by lawmakers can be forwarded to the concerned department immediately.
Earlier, several lawmakers complained about the abolishing of members’ development funds. However, Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak informed them that development funds will not be reviewed. He said the government would include the lawmakers’ suggestions in district development funds.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Sobia Shahid brought up the matter of the chief minister shifting to the CM house to which Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Gandapur replied the issue would be discussed with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.
Demand for grants
The house also approved demands for grants worth Rs4.6 billion for five departments including provincial assembly, general administration, finance department, planning and development (P&D) department and information technology (IT).
The first grants demand to be approved was for the provincial assembly amounting to Rs88.4 million. The house also approved Rs1.8 billion for the administration department, Rs2.6 billion for the finance department, Rs242.5 million for P&D department and Rs54 million for IT.
Earlier, a PTI lawmaker Fazl Elahi speaking on a point of order demanded the government to transfer the Peshawar police chief stating he has failed to bring law and order under control in the city
The session was adjourned till 4pm on Tuesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2013.
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what for law makers need funds. Presumably that want to make money which they have spent for winning the elections. They should work selflessly and honor that they are law makers should be sufficient.. They should point out a project and the government to issue tenders and compitant contractor will do the job. Law maker can inaugurate the project. This policy be applied for all MNAs/MPAs of all the provinces..This will be a fair game. They should declare the project first (media be informed). .A Question - are all the parliamentarians have ability to propose and,keep an eye and finally submit a completion report