Opposition grills treasury over governor’s authority

Opposition members claim Sarwar is not allowed to lead such projects under the rules

LAHORE: The opposition grilled treasury legislators in Punjab Assembly, questioning the authority of Punjab Governor Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar to lead water projects in the province. In reply, the treasury claimed that there is no harm in an individual taking steps for the welfare of the masses.

PML-N’s Azma Zahid Bukhari asked a supplementary question and inquired about the rules under which the governor was making claims of running water projects. She outlined that a governor could not lead such projects, thus making it a clear violation of the rules.

Ruckus erupted in the house as opposition legislators laughed loudly and beat their desks when Punjab Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed replied to the mentioned queries by saying that the “governor was merely supervising the projects”.

“They are teaching rules and regulation to a governor, who being head of the province, is making efforts for the welfare of the poor masses, the minister maintained. He clarified that the PTI government would welcome the governor if he wished to contribute for the welfare of the masses in every sector.

Azma wanted to pose more questions over the alleged flouting of the law and whether the governor could lead such projects. However, the deputy speaker refused to allow her, saying she could not dictate the chair of the assembly.

“This is not the way. Be seated; you are ruining the decorum of the house,” Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari told opposition legislators, including Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan.

PML-N’s Muhammad Tahir Pervez said that several areas of PP 112 (Faisalabad) were deprived of clean drinking water and questioned the reason for allegedly dropping a related scheme which was launched by his party.

Rasheed responded by claiming that no drinking water scheme had been dropped. Pervez further asked if the government was even ready to launch a single filtration-plant in the mentioned areas of PP-112. The minister replied that 13 filtration plants were being installed in Faisalabad and three of these had been completed. He revealed that the electric connections of six plants were yet to be completed work was in progress for the remaining four.

Rasheed said PML-N had ruled for the past 10 years, but did nothing over such issues. He added that the opposition should grant the ruling party at least 10 months of time. “We will not depend on verbal claims and will work to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to every citizen” the minister maintained. He said PTI would not limit the scope of their operations to just Faisalabad and vowed to provide this commodity to the entire province in the coming five years.

Azma put forward a supplementary question, asking about discrepancies in statements. She said that on the one hand, the government is saying that the PML-N government did nothing for the last ten years. However, on the other, it is saying that drinking water is being provided to 70% of the public of Faisalabad. She also asked the minister to point out a single project which the PTI government had initiated for the provision of drinking water to the masses.

The minister replied by 70% was “nothing” and that PML-N should have provided 100% drinking water to the whole of Faisalabad over the course of ten years in power. The legislators started laughing to the response of the minister.

Responding to another question from the treasury’s Abida Bibi about the completion of the Bulk Water Supply Project Murree, which had been stopped since 2002, the minister said two involved companies were sent from pillar to post. However, their dues had not been cleared by the previous governments. He said the current regime would allocate a huge amount for this project in the coming fiscal year and it would be completed soon.