AJK PM Farooq Haider upset over budget underspend

Warns of action against negligence in timely use of funds

MUZAFFARABAD: Upset over under-spending of the budget for the annual development programme by some departments of his government, Azad Jammu & Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that a disciplinary action would be taken against those officials who failed to achieve development targets during the current fiscal year 2017-18.
“The negligence on part of the government officials in timely utilisation of budget would not be tolerated,” the prime minister said after chairing a high level meeting at the Prime Minister Secretariat here on Friday.
He said contractors and construction companies responsible for ‘the delay in completion of development projects would either be blacklisted or their tenders would be cancelled.’
It is a matter of great satisfaction that federal government provided all required development funds to the AJK government, Haider said, adding that “it is the responsibility of the state government to spend every penny on development projects.”
He stressed the government would not compromise on the standard and quality of the development work. Moreover, quality procedures should be strictly observed and maintained during the procurement process, he added.
Earlier the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party lashed out at the ruling government over its incompetence in utilising the development budget where “only 65 percent budget has been utilised in 11 months of the current fiscal year.”
Meanwhile Haider expressed his deep condolence on the sad demise of the mother of local government minister Raja Naseer Ahmed Khan. The prime minister made a phone call to the minister and prayed for the family.