The two World Bank-funded projects could greatly benefit farmers, say the petitioners. PHOTO: REUTERS
HYDERABAD: The execution of two World Bank-funded projects in the agriculture and irrigation sectors, worth around Rs27 billion, has been challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC). The Hyderabad Circuit Bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Fahim Ahmed Siddiqui ordered on Friday the provincial government to submit a record of the projects' expenditure on October 3.
In their petition, the Sindh Agriculture Research Council members, Mohammad Hayat Khan and six others, alleged that corruption and nepotism have marred the projects. They also pointed to frequent changes of project directors to argue that political interference has remained at play.
According to them, the $76.4 million [Rs8 billion] Sindh Agriculture Growth Project was started in 2014 and will be completed in June, 2019. Similarly, the Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project began in March, 2015. It will utilise $187 million [Rs19 billion] before completion in December, 2021.
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They apprised the court that the estimated number of beneficiary farmers of chilli, onions, dates and rice under the Sindh Agriculture Growth Project is 112,000 while 66,000 hectares of land will be covered. "However, farmers don't know about the project and only personal friends have benefited from it," the petitioners alleged. The capacity building of farmers, investment on crops and dairy and project management, monitoring and evaluation are components of the project.
Likewise, the Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project will provide irrigation infrastructure, installation of high efficiency irrigation system and laser-guided land levelling, besides monitoring and evaluation.
The petitioners claimed that eight to 10 project directors of the two projects have been changed in the last few years, which amply reflects performance issues and political intervention. "The Sindh government has appointed officials of the agriculture department for the World Bank-funded projects. These same officials have been working in the sector for decades but have failed to bring about any improvement," they contended while pointing out that the productivity enhancement project's project director is an official of the agriculture department's engineering wing.
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They prayed the court to order the respondent officials and the government to submit complete details of the funds’ utilisation in the two projects and justify the reason for the instability in the Sindh Agriculture Growth Project. They also pleaded the court to order inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau.
The SHC will resume hearing of the case on October 3.
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