NA panel wants details

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s standing committee on economic affairs and statistics has directed the government to provide it within a week the details of expenses so far incurred on reconstruction and rehabilitation in the Malakand division.

The panel expressed serious reservations over alleged corruption by NGOs and wastage of foreign aid money provided for the reconstruction effort. The committee meeting was held on Monday at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Malik Azmat Khan of PPP, who hails from district Dir.

Shakil Qadir, director-general of the Provincial Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PARSA), informed the panel that the provincial and federal governments are not releasing funds for the ongoing project.

He revealed that of the allocated Rs 29 billion, only Rs 2 billion have so far been released. He warned of serious delays in various ongoing projects if the required cash was not released during the next fiscal year beginning July 1.

He said a total of Rs86 billion is required for successful completion of reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the militancy-scarred Malakand division.

He told the panel that so far 33 projects have been completed at a cost of Rs 693 million. Of these, 14 were implemented by the provincial government and the rest by the Pakistan Army. He complained that the federal and provincial governments are not even releasing funds for rebuilding the schools destroyed by militants. He said PARSA is using the money provided under the parent-teacher fund to rebuild 202 such schools.

The committee chairman, Malik Azmat, directed the provincial government to include elected representatives from the area in the reconstruction effort. An ANP MNA had accused his own party’s provincial government of not including the elected representatives in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.

The committee expressed displeasure over alleged corruption by the NGOs and directed the government to provide a detailed list of the expenses incurred.

Federal secretary for economic affairs Subtain Fazal Haleem said the foreign donors had reservations about possible corruption in the reconstruction effort, so the government had taken the decision to spend the foreign aid through the World Bank.

But the committee was not satisfied with his explanation and asserted that the government should keep close watch on the NGOs operating in the area.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 1st, 2010.