Many federal govt projects remain incomplete

Rs25 billion was allocated under approval in 2021-22 out of which Rs10 billion has been spent on K4 project so far

KARACHI:

With few days left for the financial year to end, the federal government's projects across Sindh, including Karachi, have yet to be completed.

As per the documents available with The Express Tribune following the approval of Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for K4, a major drinking water project for Karachi, Rs25 billion was allocated under the approval in 2021-22 out of which Rs10 billion has been spent on the K4 project so far while Rs15 billion are yet to be spent.

Moreover, in 2018 federal government allocated Rs4 billion for filtering water coming from Karachi's industrial zones before dumping it in the sea. However, only Rs500 million could be spent on the project of environmental importance.

Similarly, the Centre had added a scheme of Rs7 billion for setting up of an industrial park under the industrial production scheme at Steel Mill for which only Rs200 million has been allocated this year.

Moreover, the Rs16 billion worth of Sukkur Barrage Rehabilitation Project remains incomplete although Rs50 million was allocated for the scheme in 2021-22 budget following approval from ECNEC.

Some higher education schemes too failed to see completion at the end of anther fiscal year. The Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Law University and Improvements of Academic Facility, University of Karachi Project could not be started in Karachi.

Meanwhile, the two-lane project of Petaro Seven Road, a joint project of the federal government and the Sindh government, has not been completed since 2017. The federal project of Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway has not started yet. Similarly, Peshawar-Karachi Motorway project too remains on paper only. The big and small projects of Karachi city remained only in the budget book. Almost Rs419 billion were allocated for 103 projects in Sindh. Almost Rs174 billion has been utilised, but none of the schemes has been completed.

The said projects include two schemes for the finance department, 23 schemes for the Higher Education Commission, 22 schemes of Housing and Work Division, two schemes of Industries Production Division, a project of Information and Technology Division, 10 projects of Inter-Province Division, a scheme of Inter Division, a scheme of Maritime Division, two projects of Petroleum Division, eight schemes of Planning Division, eight of Power Division, six projects of Railways Division, three of Science and Technology Division, 14 schemes of Water Resources Division.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2022.