Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that federal government under it Public Sector Development (PSDP) 2017-18 has launched 126 projects in Sindh, of them the provincial government is executing 27 projects of Rs27.326 billion against which the Center has only released Rs7.385 billion that is 27 percent of the allocation. “This is the importance the federal government is giving Sindh.”
This he said while presiding over a preparatory meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting to be held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on February 26 in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries Manzoor Wassan, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput and others. The agenda of the NEC includes Establishment of Sanctioning Limits of development fora, Review of PSDP, 2017-18 and Socio-Economic Objectives of the 12th Five Year Plan 2018-23.
In the meeting, it was pointed out the federal government through its PSDP has launched 126 schemes in Sindh, of them 27 with an allocation of Rs27.326 billion are being executed by Sindh government. It is quite surprising that the against an allocation of Rs27.326 billion the federal government has released only Rs7.385 billion upto January 20, 2018 that is merely 27 percent.
It was also pointed out that there were six PSDP projects of Rs744.887 million in Sindh against which no releases have been made so far. These seven schemes include roads of Hyderabad under Hyderabad Development Package of 2006, hospital and water supply schemes of Nawabshah and others.
Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem told the chief minister that there were three schemes of construction of small dams, Lining of Distributaries and rehabilitation of Irrigation & drainage system the federal government has only released 20 percent of the allocated amount. At this the chief minister said that as per release policy of the Planning & Development and Reforms Division 70 percent of the allocated amount should have been released. It shows that they are violating their own policies, he said.
The federal government for the project of Construction of Small Dams, Delay Action Dams, recharge weirs and ISSO Barriers in Sindh of Rs12,211.0 million has allocated only Rs800 million leaving a Rs7,900 million throw forward. The project of Lining of Distributaries & Minors in Sindh has been launched for Rs13,828.32 million against which only Rs400 million have been allocated which shows a Rs6,020.32 million throw-forward. Similarly, a Rs16,795 million schemes of Revamping/Rehabilitation of irrigation & Drainage System of Sindh has been launched and for the current year only Rs400 million have been allocated leaving a throw-forward of Rs4,046.35 million. At this the chief minister said that it shows that these schemes would never complete if the allocation of such a meager amount is made.
The chief minister recalled that revision of S-III project was cleared by CDWP in July 2017 with an increase in the cost from Rs7.982 billion to Rs36.117 billion. The project was taken to ECNEC where Chairman P&D urged the federal government tioi share 50 percent of the cost of the revised PC-I but the federal Finance Secretary reluctantly agreed to provide funds to some extent at later stage, however minutes of the meeting are still awaited. A similar, attitude of the federal government in sharing 1/3rd cost of Five Combined Effluent Treatment Plants projects have been demonstrated. Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem told the chief minister that Rs1567 million with 50:50 cost sharing between Sindh and federal government. The Sindh government for early completion of the scheme provided throw-forward amount of Rs392.29 million on account of federal govt share which has yet to be adjusted.
On this chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he would urge the prime minister to release the allocated amount of Rs392.29 million to Sindh government for `Urban Water Supply Scheme Benazirabad’ included in PSDP 2-17-18.
The federal government has to release remaining throw-forward amount of Rs175.944 miilion to Sindh government for the schemes, Improvement of Roads in Hyderabad. The chief minister also prepared a case to take up with the prime minister that work on Jamshoro-Sehwan Dual Carriage way should be started at the earliest.
In the meeting, it was also pointed out that the NHA has launched Rs319 billion road sector schemes against which Sindh has been given a share of Rs5 billion. This was termed an injustice with the people of Sindh.
