‘Development funds’: Gilani doles out Rs30m to Fata lawmakers

Money allocated so lawmakers can initiate development projects in areas where militants have wreaked havoc.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani doled out Rs30 million to eleven lawmakers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), an area they hardly visit because of the poor security situation.

The finance ministry had warned the government last week that using state resources ‘lavishly’ for seeking political concession might be lethal and advised the administration to avoid treading that path.

Ostensibly, the money has been allocated so that lawmakers could initiate development projects in an area where militants have wreaked havoc on health and educational installations and infrastructure facilities built over decades.

According to a handout, Gilani announced this ‘favour’ for Fata parliamentarians at a meeting with them here on Thursday.

The announcement said each Fata lawmaker would identify development projects in his area ‘to directly benefit the common man’.

Interestingly, most corruption cases show that such projects are executed in such a manner that the money ultimately ends up in the pockets of parliamentarians and a few ‘favourite’ local contractors.

Gilani’s decision to shower money on MNAs comes amid a severe financial crunch and dwindling support for his fragile coalition government.

It is rare that a parliamentarian gets such a huge amount for development in her or his constituency.

The lawmakers are supposed to get up to Rs2 million a year as development funds.

The handout said that the premier had also assured a delegation of Fata legislators that his government would promptly release the money, although finance ministry ordinarily takes months to clear parliamentarians’ development projects.

The decision coincides with talks the Gilani government’s economic managers are holding with main opposition groups to steer the country out of economic difficulties.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st,  2011.