Rs140b shortfall in federal transfers lands Sindh in financial crunch

Centre has no vision or intention to provide relief to the people, says Murad

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that due to a shortfall of around Rs140 billion in federal transfers, the provincial government was facing constraints in providing relief to the poor people of the province.

He expressed these views while talking to the media after offering condolence with the bereaved family of Allama Abbas Kumaili, at his residence at Soldier Bazaar. He was accompanied by provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Shaikh and his Special Assistant Rashid Rabbani.

He said that through a letter in June, the federal government had informed the Sindh government that it would give Rs666 billion for the current financial year. "So far we [the provincial government] have received around Rs492 billion and the federal government has yet to release around Rs174 billion by the end of this month," said Shah. He added that this morning the finance department has received a letter under which Rs35 billion has been further curtailed from the provincial government's share.

Shah said that his government would be able to provide some relief to the people of Sindh if the federal government managed to release Rs130 billion to Sindh. "This precarious condition is not only prevalent in Sindh but all other provinces are suffering through such a situation," he said.

The CM said that he had been making provincial government's budgets for the last 10 years but he had never witnessed such a serious financial crunch in which formation of the budget could become a challenge.

Replying to a question, Shah said that the government budgets normally invite criticism but this time the federal government had displayed inefficiency in achieving revenue collection targets and had refused to provide any relief to the people of the country. "I am sorry to say but the federal government has neither the vision nor the intention to provide relief to the poor people of Pakistan," he said.

Shah said that in the prime minister's message to the nation he was expecting good news from the PM but there was nothing positive in his five minutes video talk. "How one can be optimistic when nothing positive is coming out from the people at the helm of affairs," he asked.

Talking about the K-IV project, the CM said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were making hue and cry, claiming that the provincial government had destroyed the project. "Oh, yes maybe I or someone else had done wrong with the project but it doesn't mean that you [the federal government] are adamant to punish the people of Karachi by abandoning the project," he said.

Replying to a question, Shah said that the PTI had won some seats in election 2018 incidentally, otherwise neither do they have roots among the people nor any intention to establish them.  He urged the media to inquire from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQM-P) how the PTI had won from their traditional constituencies, particularly from the nine-zero. "This is what I am saying that they have come into assemblies incidentally," he said.

Earlier, Shah offered fateha for Allama Abbas with his son Kazim Abbas Kumeli. He said that Allama was a great human being who always worked for sectarian harmony. His death has created a vacuum which would be difficult to fill in, he said adding that the Allama's services would always be remembered.

Later, the chief minister went to the residence of Major Moeez Baig who was martyred in South Waziristan on June 7. The chief minister offered condolence with Maqsood Baig, Moeez's father.

Talking to media, the chief minister said that the nation and the family of Major Moeez were proud of his sacrifice and he would always be remembered as a hero of the nation.

To a question, the chief minister said that the provincial government always gives compensation to the families of the policemen and Rangers who sacrifice their lives in the line of their duty. "I will find ways and means to give compensation to the family of Shaheed Major Moeez," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2019.