Transparency demanded in use of flood relief funds

As donations for flood victims, aided by telethons and en masse advertisements, have started pouring in, there is a growing fear amongst donors over the misuse of funds; hence calls for transparency are now gathering pace.

Civil society representatives and welfare organisations’ volunteers alike are pressing the Sindh government to ensure transparency in the collection and utilisation of funds being received for relief of flood affectees across the province.

“Every department of the Sindh government is bound to make public their collection and spending of donated money, under the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016,” said Dr Murtaza Khuhro, who is a lawyer and an activist. Dr Khuhro, while talking to the Express Tribune, said that various relief organisations were now considering petitioning the provincial High Court to ensure transparency.

As per Dr Khuhro, the Sindh government has received billions of rupees in donations and tons of relief-goods for the help and relief of the deluged people of Sindh from international institutions, foreign governments, and philanthropists. “However, they have yet to share details of where these funds are going and only the courts can ensure that this money is used for the purpose it was intended.” It is pertinent to mention that the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act mandates the government to inform the public about funds and goods received by disseminating such information as widely as possible - including, posting it on the internet. This right to information for the public is also protected by Article 19 A of the country’s constitution, according to Dr Khuhro.

Shahid Jatoi, member of the Sindh Information Commission, when asked about how such information would be made available to the public at large, informed that the commission was already working on initiating the process. “We are trying to implement the 2016 Act and in this regard the Chief Commissioner of the Sindh Information Commission, Nusrat Hussain Mangan. has sent official letters to all provincial departments to appoint officers so that citizens can contact them for the required information,” Jatoi explained.

The Express Tribune also asked the Spokesperson of the Sindh Chief Minister House, Abdul Rasheed Channa, about the public demanding transparency in donations. “The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) receives and distributes the goods and funds collected through national and international organisations. The Sindh government only provides necessary funds to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for continuing relief activities in the province,” Channa replied. When asked about the donations collected in the CM’s relief fund, Channa said that so far Rs 2 billion had been collected in the fund but the provincial government was yet to utilise this money. “The government intends to formulate a mechanism to ensure transparency in utilisation of this fund. A committee will supervise the fund and representatives of civil society will also be a part of this committee. The government will also arrange an audit of this fund,” Channa informed while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2022.