Daily Times

Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, on Friday, lamented that as of now, Sindh government still awaited the release of 120 billion from the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

He added that the central government had not released around nine billion rupees out of 15 billion rupees for development work in Sindh. Therefore, he added that the Sindh government could not stop the salaries but development.

None of the development funds was said to be reduced.

Last year, the Sindh government had used 204 billion rupees in development heads but this year Sindh government would be able to utilise less than 80 billion rupees, he maintained.

CM Shah was speaking to journalists at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar on the last day of 767th annual Urs celebrations of Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz.

He also offered fateha and laid floral wreaths on the grave of Lal Qalandar.

When talking about the usage of funds in Sindh, the chief minister added that the Sindh government would hardly utilise half of last year’s fund. He called the negligence ofcentral governmnet responbole for these dismal affairs.

The central government had put a halt to the budget of Sindh province.

If Sindh govt not capable, how did it use 204 b development funds last year, questions Sindh CM

The CM noted that the Sindh government was wrongly accused of not being able to use funds.

He said if the Sindh government was not able to run the government and allocate funds, how were 204 billion rupees distributed last year.

CM Shah said that he was not demanding NRO but funds from the central government.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s federal government was said to have failed to collect taxes while Sindh province had a share of 57.5 per cent from the collected taxes of the federal government.

Due to wrong financial policies, Sindh province was facing financial crises, the CM added.

Answering a question, Shah said that President Arif Alvi had stated about the eradication of 18 amendments while the presidential system had no reality.

He said that it was the vision of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other leadership that democracy should run in the country but few people had desired to derail democracy.

With regard to not purchasing wheat from growers, he said that a huge stock had already been stored at the food department.

The Sindh government was also said to have no funds to purchase wheat because the central government was yet to release subsidy in this regard.

Due to the financial position, the CM added that the Sindh government had decided to not purchase wheat from growers in Sindh.

The Sindh province was working with World Bank and international agencies for development schemes, he announced.

Through World Bank, he noted that the development schemes were running in Karachi while the government was also working on the irrigation system as well as improving the rehabilitation of Sukkur barrage.

The chief minister also claimed that salaries of Sindh police were higher than that offered by other provinces.

He said that the budget should not be anti-human and the federal government should care for people for the sake of God.

Shah was accompanied by PPP MNA Sardar Sikandar Ali Rahpoto; PPP District President Syed Asif Ali Shah; Provincial Minister Oqaf Faraz Deero; Provincial Secretary Oqaf Mohammad Nawaz; Additional Inspector-General Ghulam Sarwar Jamali; Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mohammad Naeem Shaikh; Hyderabad Commissioner Abbas Baloch; Mella Committee Chairman ® Capt Fareed Uddin Mustafa and Jamshoro Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tauqir Mohammad Naeem.

Earlier, he distributed awards and shields among officers at a literary conference held at Shahbaz auditorium.