Favouring a select few: Handful of districts take ADP’s Rs4.5 billion cake
Public health engineering department shares details of fund allocations.
The total funds for various water supply and sanitation schemes under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) amount to Rs4.5 billion for the entire province. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Details of development funds of the public health engineering (PHE) department shared with the provincial assembly on Friday revealed that some ministers’ constituencies have been allotted handsomely while opposition members have been left out or given meagre sums.
The total funds for various water supply and sanitation schemes under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) amount to Rs4.5 billion for the entire province.
The issue was raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Azam Durrani during the question hour. He pointed out that the opposition has been denied proper treatment in the allocation of funds, adding PHE Minister Shah Farman’s constituency has been allotted Rs398 million while other districts have been given ‘mere peanuts’.
A breakdown of the funding also shows heavy allotment for Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera and Abbottabad. “As much as 50% of the total funds have been allocated for these districts while the rest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has to make do with remaining funds,” said Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) lawmaker Meraj Humayun Khan.
Going once
Of the total allocated amount under the ADP head number 215 (rehabilitation of existing water supply schemes) of Rs1 billion, Peshawar received Rs183 million, Nowshera Rs50 million, Mardan Rs60 million, Swabi Rs72 million and Abbottabad Rs136 million.
In Peshawar, Farman’s constituency of PK-10 received Rs93.5 million while Higher Education Minister Mushtaq Ghani’s constituency in Abbottabad, PK-44, was awarded Rs96.5 million.
However, 21 constituencies of the opposition members were not given any funds.
Going twice
Under the Rs2 billion ADP allocation number 216 (construction of water supply schemes), Peshawar has been allocated Rs405 million, Nowshera Rs150 million, Swabi Rs238 million and Mardan Rs140 million.
Farman’s constituency again received the lion’s share of the funds – a staggering Rs195.18 million. Similarly, Speaker Asad Qaiser’s constituency, PK-35, received Rs121 million and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s hometown of PK-13 was granted Rs60 million.
The opposition members’ constituencies, numbering 20, were left out.
Interestingly, under the same head, two MNAs have also been given funds. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker from NA-4, Peshawar, has been given funds worth Rs20 million while another MNA from Lakki Marwat was given Rs40 million.
Strike three
Under the ADP’s allocation of head number 217 (construction of sanitation schemes) worth Rs1.5 billion, Peshawar has been allotted Rs370 million of which Farman’s constituency leads with Rs110 million. The district of Mardan received Rs197 million, Nowshera Rs200 million and Swabi Rs228 million.
Once more, opposition members from 40 constituencies were neglected.
Opposition lawmakers took strong exception to the distribution of funds, with QWP parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao asking the government to inform him of the distribution criteria. “This distribution neither takes under-development into account nor is it on a need basis,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Wajihuzaman Khan said the very same attitude was responsible for the government’s present woes and things would only deteriorate if the rulers do not mend their ways. Opposition members Sardar Hussain Babak, Munawar Khan, Mufti Syed Janan, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli also lashed out at the government.
Among 25 lawmakers elected on reserved seats, a lone lawmaker from Swabi has been given Rs10 million.
PHE’s Parliamentary Secretary Ayesha Naeem tried to explain her department’s position on the issue but she found few takers. She said the government allocated the funds after MPAs identified their need. However, sensing her inability to defend the government’s stance, the speaker asked the house to refer the questions to the concerned committee and directed for a committee meeting at the earliest.
The house was discussing health issues of the province till the filing of this report.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2014.
Details of development funds of the public health engineering (PHE) department shared with the provincial assembly on Friday revealed that some ministers’ constituencies have been allotted handsomely while opposition members have been left out or given meagre sums.
The total funds for various water supply and sanitation schemes under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) amount to Rs4.5 billion for the entire province.
The issue was raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl lawmaker Azam Durrani during the question hour. He pointed out that the opposition has been denied proper treatment in the allocation of funds, adding PHE Minister Shah Farman’s constituency has been allotted Rs398 million while other districts have been given ‘mere peanuts’.
A breakdown of the funding also shows heavy allotment for Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera and Abbottabad. “As much as 50% of the total funds have been allocated for these districts while the rest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has to make do with remaining funds,” said Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) lawmaker Meraj Humayun Khan.
Going once
Of the total allocated amount under the ADP head number 215 (rehabilitation of existing water supply schemes) of Rs1 billion, Peshawar received Rs183 million, Nowshera Rs50 million, Mardan Rs60 million, Swabi Rs72 million and Abbottabad Rs136 million.
In Peshawar, Farman’s constituency of PK-10 received Rs93.5 million while Higher Education Minister Mushtaq Ghani’s constituency in Abbottabad, PK-44, was awarded Rs96.5 million.
However, 21 constituencies of the opposition members were not given any funds.
Going twice
Under the Rs2 billion ADP allocation number 216 (construction of water supply schemes), Peshawar has been allocated Rs405 million, Nowshera Rs150 million, Swabi Rs238 million and Mardan Rs140 million.
Farman’s constituency again received the lion’s share of the funds – a staggering Rs195.18 million. Similarly, Speaker Asad Qaiser’s constituency, PK-35, received Rs121 million and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s hometown of PK-13 was granted Rs60 million.
The opposition members’ constituencies, numbering 20, were left out.
Interestingly, under the same head, two MNAs have also been given funds. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker from NA-4, Peshawar, has been given funds worth Rs20 million while another MNA from Lakki Marwat was given Rs40 million.
Strike three
Under the ADP’s allocation of head number 217 (construction of sanitation schemes) worth Rs1.5 billion, Peshawar has been allotted Rs370 million of which Farman’s constituency leads with Rs110 million. The district of Mardan received Rs197 million, Nowshera Rs200 million and Swabi Rs228 million.
Once more, opposition members from 40 constituencies were neglected.
Opposition lawmakers took strong exception to the distribution of funds, with QWP parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao asking the government to inform him of the distribution criteria. “This distribution neither takes under-development into account nor is it on a need basis,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Wajihuzaman Khan said the very same attitude was responsible for the government’s present woes and things would only deteriorate if the rulers do not mend their ways. Opposition members Sardar Hussain Babak, Munawar Khan, Mufti Syed Janan, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli also lashed out at the government.
Among 25 lawmakers elected on reserved seats, a lone lawmaker from Swabi has been given Rs10 million.
PHE’s Parliamentary Secretary Ayesha Naeem tried to explain her department’s position on the issue but she found few takers. She said the government allocated the funds after MPAs identified their need. However, sensing her inability to defend the government’s stance, the speaker asked the house to refer the questions to the concerned committee and directed for a committee meeting at the earliest.
The house was discussing health issues of the province till the filing of this report.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2014.