Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided in principle to allocate Rs 10 billion under the Community Development Plan.

Funds would be released through deputy commissioners (DCs) in Sindh contrary to the previous method when funds were used to be released through elected assembly members.

In this connection, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) members of the Sindh Assembly have been asked to submit development plans to their respective DC offices while bureaucrats have been given free hand in selecting executing bodies of development projects.

The executing bodies can be municipal corporations, development authorities and civic bodies or otherwise suited to DCs and execution will depend on sphere of civic bodies’ respective functions.

The Sindh government officials have revealed that PPP MPAs had been asked to submit their PC-I for development plans by November-end.

The DCs can also invite any civic body or a government development agency for development proposal plans for initiating such schemes in their respective areas.

Asif Jamil Sheikh, the deputy commissioner (West), while confirming the report said, “We have been asked to accept Rs 100 million development schemes from each elected member of the assembly.”

He said that after conceiving development projects, the same would be put forward before the Sindh Planning and Development Department where two district working committees would approve or disapprove the development plans.

“Thereafter, funds would be released to DCs after approval of development schemes,” he added.

He was of the opinion that previously planned development schemes would also be put before the
planning department. He added that on an average nine assembly members come within the jurisdiction of a DC’s Office.

The Sindh finance secretary said that the Finance Department had been asked by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to release funds in case of viability of development schemes without any discrimination. “Given the directives, we have completed our homework.”

He was of the view that the government had a serious view on this plan and was determined to bring betterment in the infrastructure in order to provide relief to the people.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan, while commenting on the matter, opined that the move of government was meant to appease their blue-eyed people and could be termed “stage show” before general elections 2018. “Rulers have not informed me about the scheme and I came to know about this move through other quarters,” he said, adding that the government should have taken on board the opposition and other political parties.

He said that during last the four years the PPP-led provincial government remained silent in providing development funds to elected members.

A senior official of Sindh government revealed that the government was interested in initiating development projects preferably in Malir district (East and West) as the ruling party had a sound vote bank in those areas.

Published in Daily Times, October 14^th 2017.