16 Sindh projects slow down for want of funds

Pace of work on several projects in Sindh has slowed down due to non-disbursement of funds by the federal government in the outgoing financial year, according to the Sindh Finance Department.

The federal government was supposed to release billions of rupees under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) of the federal budget for 2023-24. The details shared by the Finance Department show that the federal government has not released any funds for 16 projects, including Rs2.5 billion for the rehabilitation of Site Industrial in Karachi.

Similarly, out of Rs4 billion committed for Rohri-Guddu Barrage M-5 Interchange, no fund has been disbursed. The federal government had to release Rs2 billion for a Tando Allahyar-Tando Adam road which could not go past commitment. A sum of Rs4 billion had been announced for Nawabshah to Ranipur Mehran Highway, but the funds were never disbursed. As much as Rs3 billion committed by the federal government for the National Highway N-5 and Rs50 million each for a water filtration plant and a sewage treatment plant could not be released.

The Centre has also not disbursed Rs2 billion it had committed in the PSDP for a 36km section of the Sindh Coastal Highway while Rs2 billion commitment for the construction and repairs of schools in the flood-hit areas also didn't materialise. The Centre did not even disburse Rs2.5 billion for the reconstruction of flood-affected houses. The Finance Department says that work on these projects will suffer further due to non-availability of funds.