Fissures within: Uncertainty looms large over FDMA’s future
UNHCR has cut down on funds; case on former DG gives bad name to authority
PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
The future of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) remains unclear owing to dwindling funds from donors, charges of massive corruption and administrative hurdles.
“FDMA is responsible for the return process 74% of [displaced people],” an official said.
He added FDMA has three civil servants who were working on higher posts while the fate of the rest of the employees remains in limbo after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cut down on its funding of $0.3 million, which put 77 of its approximately 200 employees in the lurch.
He added under the current circumstances, FDMA was doing its best in saving the jobs of its employees as well as catering to the needs to the people even when donor agencies have decided to slash the rations provided to the internally displaced persons by almost half, reducing it from 80 to 40 kilogrammes.
Surrounded by charges
The FDMA has been marred with allegations of corruption. One of its former director generals is still in custody for misappropriating millions of rupees that were set aside for compensating affectees of conflict zones and for reconstruction of their houses.
“We would put our heads down in shame when we attended meetings at the higher level – as though the entire staff was involved,” a former official of the FDMA said.
He added the entire episode had brought a bad name to the authority but that did not mean that almost everyone is corrupt.
The disaster management authority claims to have devised an agency management system that involves minimum human interference to reduce the risk of malpractice.
The official explained the system, saying that where previously Rs10,000 were provided to repatriating families with a reduction of the 21% tax, Rs7,900 were given to the main beneficiary, while another Rs1,000 were deducted for tendering and Rs2,000 would be the tendering profit, which gave the original beneficiary just Rs4,900. However, the amount disbursed since 2014 is Rs9,900 for transport and the cash grant of Rs25,000 has procedural deduction of a minimum Rs125.
Project body
The FDMA became functional in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2005. It was reinforced by an ordinance in 2008 and made a project in 2010 under the National Disaster Management Authority act and is a project of the FATA Secretariat since then.
An official of the FATA Secretariat said FDMA’s status of being a project is less likely to change as there has been no reply from the finance division on giving it any permanency.
The responsible officials believe that the project may be wrapped up once the repatriation of IDPs completed by the end of this year under the National Action Plan.
“Most of its authority has been already handed over to the return and rehabilitation unit” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2016.
The future of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) remains unclear owing to dwindling funds from donors, charges of massive corruption and administrative hurdles.
“FDMA is responsible for the return process 74% of [displaced people],” an official said.
He added FDMA has three civil servants who were working on higher posts while the fate of the rest of the employees remains in limbo after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cut down on its funding of $0.3 million, which put 77 of its approximately 200 employees in the lurch.
He added under the current circumstances, FDMA was doing its best in saving the jobs of its employees as well as catering to the needs to the people even when donor agencies have decided to slash the rations provided to the internally displaced persons by almost half, reducing it from 80 to 40 kilogrammes.
Surrounded by charges
The FDMA has been marred with allegations of corruption. One of its former director generals is still in custody for misappropriating millions of rupees that were set aside for compensating affectees of conflict zones and for reconstruction of their houses.
“We would put our heads down in shame when we attended meetings at the higher level – as though the entire staff was involved,” a former official of the FDMA said.
He added the entire episode had brought a bad name to the authority but that did not mean that almost everyone is corrupt.
The disaster management authority claims to have devised an agency management system that involves minimum human interference to reduce the risk of malpractice.
The official explained the system, saying that where previously Rs10,000 were provided to repatriating families with a reduction of the 21% tax, Rs7,900 were given to the main beneficiary, while another Rs1,000 were deducted for tendering and Rs2,000 would be the tendering profit, which gave the original beneficiary just Rs4,900. However, the amount disbursed since 2014 is Rs9,900 for transport and the cash grant of Rs25,000 has procedural deduction of a minimum Rs125.
Project body
The FDMA became functional in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2005. It was reinforced by an ordinance in 2008 and made a project in 2010 under the National Disaster Management Authority act and is a project of the FATA Secretariat since then.
An official of the FATA Secretariat said FDMA’s status of being a project is less likely to change as there has been no reply from the finance division on giving it any permanency.
The responsible officials believe that the project may be wrapped up once the repatriation of IDPs completed by the end of this year under the National Action Plan.
“Most of its authority has been already handed over to the return and rehabilitation unit” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2016.