Even distribution of resources

Speaking at the launching ceremony of District Development Portal, Data-4 Pakistan, under the government flagship “Ehsas Programme”, Prime Minster Imran Khan emphasised the need for equitable distribution of financial resources for the socio-economic uplift of the people of different districts and regions in provinces. In the history of Pakistan for the first time, a visionary leader has conceived a useful project of developing this portal with the collaboration of the World Bank to frequently reach out to the masses of less developed areas and issues directives for policy interventions as response option.

The Prime Minister has rightly criticised the lopsided development strategies implemented purely under the influence of powerful political elite by citing the example of implemented development projects in Lahore wherein PML-N governments had annually spent 55 percent of provincial budget. It merits mention that politicians had acquired this role when the scourge of parliamentarians’ fund was introduced as political bribe for the lawmakers. This menace refuses to go away as members of legislatures of ruling PTI, its coalition partners and opposition are pressing hard for provision of development funds, dislike of the Prime Minister for doling out these funds to politicians notwithstanding.

The projects that are being implemented under the “EhsasProgramme” are no doubt supervised by Dr. SaniaNishtar, a technocrat of impeccable integrity. However, lawmakers of the ruling party have also made known their intension to take a political role in the projects of poverty alleviation, which will certainly compromise the fundamental of transparency in the pro-poor programme. Southern Punjab and interior Sindh had remained less developed not only because of uneven allocations of financial resources but also because of the feudal mindset of political elite to keep the people of these areas deprived of the fruits of social sector development, particularly spending on projects of health, education and roads infrastructure.

The role of local bodies in the implementation of schemes of people’s uplift is also crucial both in urban and rural areas. Employees of these institutions are the political appointees of previous governments and they are still under the thumb of politicians. Hence utilisation of development funds will need strict periodic monitoring and frequent post audit of expenditures to ensure transparency and prevent misappropriation and wastage of scarce resources besides completion of projects on time. There is a dire need of setting up an Independent Monitoring Unit, absolutely free from political influence.

The data of District Development Portal would need careful handling. Creation of an autonomous cell in the Prime Minister Office headed by an expert shall be inevitable for the proper monitoring and encryption of the collected data to ensure policy interventions to address the imbalances in resources allocation and facilitate working out community welfare oriented plans and strategies. Hopefully, vision of the Prime Minister of poverty alleviation and employment creation for the deserving people shall be implemented in letter and spirit.