Opposition slams unfunded projects in Sindh Assembly

KARACHI:

The failure of Sindh government to utilise funds for various development schemes came under scrutiny in Monday's Sindh Assembly session.

As the session started with speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Raja Azhar drew the house's attention towards the underutilisation of funds for various schemes outlined in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) f2020-21

"Around 1,375 schemes have been repeated for the last two years and not a single penny has been utilized for many of them," he said

The MPA added that despite huge allocations for education, health, transport and other sectors, the provincial government is unwilling to execute schemes and utilise funds.

Azhar, who was speaking on current fiscal year expenditures, referred to the budget books and said, "In my constituency, two government schools are in one building. Both the schools lack basic facilities, including water and sanitation."

He told the house that he had written to the Sindh chief minister, but all in vain. The PTI MPA lashed out at the government's alleged policy of neglecting opposition members' constituencies

"We have been visiting planning, development and other relevant departments, but no one paid heed to the problems confronted by people in other areas," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Javed Hanif of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) spoke of the irregular appointment of teachers.

"The PPP government does not care about meritocracy, but focuses on how to accommodate party voters in various government departments," he lamented.

He also slammed the Sindh government for not utilizing the budget, resulting in the jeopardization of many development schemes

"The performance of the government can be gauged from the fact that patients are lying on the footpaths of JPMC."

However, Riaz Shah Sherazi of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) sang a completely different tune and said the Sindh government had broken all past records in terms of expenditure.

"The PPP has swept the elections in Sindh because of its performance. The example of the recent NA-249 election in Karachi can also be quoted," he said.

Heer Sohu of PPP, criticised the PTI- led federal government for its failure to provide ventilators in Sindh,thus leaving people at the mercy of Coronavirus.

"Pakistan is the only country in his region which lags behind in vaccination against the pandemic," she said.

MQM-P members of the house staged a walkout after the speaker did not allow them to take their desired time to address the house.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2021.