Uneven flow: Opposition slams govt for not using development funds
Calls finance minister’s goal of 90% utilisation by June a distant dream
K-P Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
Never one to miss out on an opportunity to take a swing at the treasury benches, the opposition slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government for not releasing development project funds.
Opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman expressed his dissatisfaction with the government’s progress in utilising Annual Developmental Programme funds, at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday. Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said claimed he was unable to convince the opposition despite his political answers to technical questions.
JUI-F lawmaker Mehmood Bitani raised the funds’ issue via a point of order in the house, asking the minister to inform MPAs about the reasons behind stopping the flow of money.
“Development schemes are not progressing as the finance department has stopped releasing funds,” he said. “The minister should inform us of the problem his department is facing which is delaying the release of funds,” Bitani said, while raising the issue. He added contractors have stopped working on projects as funds are not being released.
Is it the Centre?
Said pointed out the federal government has yet to pay K-P the Rs25 billion tranche out of Rs70 billion owed. He said the Centre promised to pay the amount in the current fiscal year through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016.
Said instructed the departments to increase work on projects for which the funds had been released.
“Of the Rs142 billion ADP, Rs81 billion, around 57 %, has been released and those who received the amounts should ensure 100% expenditure without delay,” Said added. “We will strive to utilise 90% by June this year.”
After Said’s response, the opposition leader stood up and said the government had only utilised 17% of the development budget. “The minister is claiming to 90% utilisation by June; does he have a magic wand?” he asked. Said replied Rahman’s figures were only updated till December and “decent progress has been made since”.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha criticised Said for providing “twisted answers”.
“The C&W department has no funds to clear roads after the recent rain and landslides in Abbottabad,” Nalotha said.
Ordinances and bills
The government laid ordinances which were issued in February when the house was not in session.
Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Law Arif Yousaf laid out the K-P Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and K-P Public Service Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016. Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai laid out the K-P Medical Teaching Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, while Yousaf also laid the K-P Antiquities Bill 2016.
Smelling a rat: Rodent problem puzzles MPAs
The house was informed about the nuisance of rats in parts of Peshawar, including Hassan Garhi and Yakatoot. JUI-F minority MPA Askar Pervez drew the attention of the house, saying “many children” have been killed by the rats and the government should take steps to stop them.
The speaker and a majority of the MPAs were surprised to hear rats have killed children. The speaker asked Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan to respond to the matter.
Inayatullah said they first needed to determine which department has to deal with the rat problem. He then tossed the subject over to the health department, but Tarakai seemed irritated by that, saying his department deals with health matters and not the killing of rats.
The local government minister said the rats were not local breeds. “It is said they have come to Peshawar [after hitching a ride] in containers,” he said. Inayatullah said a meeting was held with the Water and Sanitation Service Project (WSSP). “We discussed the issue and ways to stop the vermin; a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the district health officer. The nazim has ordered to keep a check on the official body’s working.” Inayatullah added the committee would form a strategy to stop the rats. According to Tarakai, the question worth considering is where the rats came from.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2016.
Never one to miss out on an opportunity to take a swing at the treasury benches, the opposition slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government for not releasing development project funds.
Opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman expressed his dissatisfaction with the government’s progress in utilising Annual Developmental Programme funds, at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday. Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said claimed he was unable to convince the opposition despite his political answers to technical questions.
JUI-F lawmaker Mehmood Bitani raised the funds’ issue via a point of order in the house, asking the minister to inform MPAs about the reasons behind stopping the flow of money.
“Development schemes are not progressing as the finance department has stopped releasing funds,” he said. “The minister should inform us of the problem his department is facing which is delaying the release of funds,” Bitani said, while raising the issue. He added contractors have stopped working on projects as funds are not being released.
Is it the Centre?
Said pointed out the federal government has yet to pay K-P the Rs25 billion tranche out of Rs70 billion owed. He said the Centre promised to pay the amount in the current fiscal year through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016.
Said instructed the departments to increase work on projects for which the funds had been released.
“Of the Rs142 billion ADP, Rs81 billion, around 57 %, has been released and those who received the amounts should ensure 100% expenditure without delay,” Said added. “We will strive to utilise 90% by June this year.”
After Said’s response, the opposition leader stood up and said the government had only utilised 17% of the development budget. “The minister is claiming to 90% utilisation by June; does he have a magic wand?” he asked. Said replied Rahman’s figures were only updated till December and “decent progress has been made since”.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha criticised Said for providing “twisted answers”.
“The C&W department has no funds to clear roads after the recent rain and landslides in Abbottabad,” Nalotha said.
Ordinances and bills
The government laid ordinances which were issued in February when the house was not in session.
Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Law Arif Yousaf laid out the K-P Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and K-P Public Service Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016. Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai laid out the K-P Medical Teaching Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, while Yousaf also laid the K-P Antiquities Bill 2016.
Smelling a rat: Rodent problem puzzles MPAs
The house was informed about the nuisance of rats in parts of Peshawar, including Hassan Garhi and Yakatoot. JUI-F minority MPA Askar Pervez drew the attention of the house, saying “many children” have been killed by the rats and the government should take steps to stop them.
The speaker and a majority of the MPAs were surprised to hear rats have killed children. The speaker asked Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan to respond to the matter.
Inayatullah said they first needed to determine which department has to deal with the rat problem. He then tossed the subject over to the health department, but Tarakai seemed irritated by that, saying his department deals with health matters and not the killing of rats.
The local government minister said the rats were not local breeds. “It is said they have come to Peshawar [after hitching a ride] in containers,” he said. Inayatullah said a meeting was held with the Water and Sanitation Service Project (WSSP). “We discussed the issue and ways to stop the vermin; a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the district health officer. The nazim has ordered to keep a check on the official body’s working.” Inayatullah added the committee would form a strategy to stop the rats. According to Tarakai, the question worth considering is where the rats came from.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2016.