Slow pace of uplift schemes irks CM

Reviews uplift schemes worth Rs8.17b in Tando Allahyar

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, reviewing a Rs8.172 billion development portfolio, launched under provincial ADP, expressed displeasure on slow progress on some of the schemes although the allocated funds for them have already been released. "I am here to review the schemes on ground so that their pace, quality, and issues could be identified."

The CM stated this on Saturday while presiding a review meeting at the DC office. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, including Manzoor Wassan, Ismail Rahu, Imtiaz Shaikh, Jam Ikram, Jam Khan Shoro, local MNAs and MPAs, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary LG Najam Shah, Secretary Works, Imran Atta, Secretary Education, Akbar Leghari and secretaries of the different departments.

The CM was informed that under the provincial ADP, 53 schemes have been launched in the district. Accordingly, Rs1,490.353 million or 70 per cent of funds against an allocation of Rs2,119.378 million have been released while the utilisation [of funds] have been recorded at Rs808.771 million or 54 per cent.

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It was disclosed that there were 19 schemes with an allocation of Rs50 million have been provided while the progress of the works has been recorded at 26 per cent.

The CM expressed his displeasure at the slow pace of work and directed Chairman P&D to accelerate the work so that the development scheme could be completed on time.

Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi told the meeting that two out of 53 schemes with an allocation of Rs155.663 million have been provided Rs114.212 million or 73 per cent of allocated fund in two installments against which Rs72.857 million or 64 per cent funds have been utilised. Similarly, three out of 53 schemes having allocation of more than Rs100 million have been provided 100 per cent funds and their progress was 95 per cent. Therefore, they would be completed by the end of the current financial year.

The meeting was also informed that two district specific schemes with an allocation of Rs453 million have been provided Rs228 million or 50 per cent funds and 49 per cent of the released amount, Rs112.455 has been utilised. At this the chief minister directed the finance department to provide rest of the funds to these two schemes so that they could be completed by December 2022.

The chief minister was also informed that 27 new schemes have been allocated Rs533.488 million against which Rs190.813 million or 36 per cent funds have been released but work on some of the schemes has not yet started.

At this the chairman P&D said that those schemes were under approval process and within this month the work on these schemes would be started.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2022.