Centre asked to foot Sehat card bill

Adviser to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Caretaker Chief Minister on Finance, Himayat Ullah Khan, has addressed a letter to Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, urging the federal government to take responsibility for funding the Sehat card and other projects in the tribal districts. Khan emphasized that managing the expenses of these projects has become an additional burden for the K-P province.

The letter highlights that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has previously decided that until June 2022, the federal government would cover the costs of the Sehat card for the tribal districts. However, until K-P receives its share of the National Finance Commission (NFC) funds for the tribal districts, the federation should bear the financial burden of the Sehat card and other projects in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Khan, citing Article 160 of the Constitution, points out that the NFC shares are determined based on population density, and after the merger, the population of K-P has increased. Nonetheless, the federation has not increased the NFC share for the last four years. Given the troubled financial situation of K-P, Khan stresses the need to ensure that the federation makes the due payments.

He also highlights the importance of upholding the financial packages granted to the tribal districts at the time of the merger under the 25th constitutional amendment, emphasizing that payments by the federal government are crucial.

On a separate matter, Himayatullah Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the two-year performance of K-P Oil and Gas Company Limited (KPOGCL). During a meeting of the KPOGCL, he asked the Secretary of Energy and Power Zulfiqar Ali Shah, who is a member of the Board of Governors, to submit a report.

detailing the accomplishments of KPOGCL during the past two years. Khan raised concerns about the company’s performance, especially considering the significant number of employees compared to the company’s low output. He emphasized that the funds used are taxpayers’ money, and drilling a well costs more than thirty million dollars.

Khan pointed out that the province is not financially capable of pursuing oil drilling, and it is not the role of KPOGCL to engage in such activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2023.