An apt example of poor bureaucratic planning surfaced during the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance the other day when it was informed that after devolution, 171 projects worth Rs 216 billion would be abandoned. The reason behind it is the unwillingness shown by federal and provincial governments to own the projects that has already consumed Rs 21 billion and their completion requires an additional funding of Rs 194 billion. Fauzia Wahab of PPP chaired the Tuesday’s meeting.
The members also criticised the officialdom at the Planning Commission observing that it was not working in tune with the government’s priorities. Lawmakers also voiced their concerns over the absence of deputy chairman of Planning Commission and secretary finance Dr Waqar Masood Khan from the session. Planning Division Secretary Sohail Ahmad told the committee that Finance Ministry had given them an indicated ceiling of Rs 280 billion for development budget next fiscal year. However, he said the Priorities Committee estimated that the required funding was Rs 500 billion.
He said they had asked Finance Ministry to enhance the limit to Rs 365 billion at least. He said the development projects portfolio included 580 schemes, out of which federal government would oversee 196 projects worth Rs 173 billion. He said, “The provinces have agreed to take over 213 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 149 billion, having future liabilities of Rs 75.5 billion”. He, however, said that 171 projects would have to be shelved since the federal and provincial governments were not willing to take care of those projects.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Finance Rana Asad Amin said that the estimated development budget of provinces would be of Rs 330 billion for the next fiscal year. Opposing the abandonment proposal, Riaz Fityana of PML-Q stressed their completion, hinting that otherwise Rs 21 billion already spent would be wasted. The committee members especially mentioned the dog-training programme of the Army. The officials said that despite approval, no funds were released for the K-9 programme.
The Finance Ministry officials told the committee that the devolution of 10 ministries have so far been saving of Rs 7.5 billion and devolution of another 18 ministries would help save Rs 10.5 billion per annum. Secretary Establishment Division Abdul Rauf Chaudhry informed the committee that 10 ministries have been devolved and all their staff had been accommodated in other departments. He, however, said that the staff of remaining 8 ministries to be devolved would be sent to the surplus pool.
According to the presentation given to the committee, abandoned projects of the devolved ministries and the expenditures incurred till March 31 were as followed: 19 projects of Education division cost Rs.4.926 billion. One project of Culture Division cost Rs 9.5 million, 7 projects of Livestock and Dairy Development Division consumed Rs 3.4 billion, 7 projects of Social Welfare and Special Education Division incurred expenditures of Rs 111.1 million expenditures, 3 projects of Special Initiatives Division incurred expenditures of Rs 8.5 billion, 9 projects of Local Government and Rural Development Division cost Rs 293.6 million, 1 project of Youth Affairs Division cost Rs 5.1 million, 30 projects of Health Division were closed after an expender of Rs 1.09 billion, 26 projects of Food and Agriculture Division were scraped that cost Rs 2.7 billion, 5 projects of the Labour Manpower Division shelved after incurring expenditures of Rs 155.6 million, 6 projects of Sports Division were closed after they had cost Rs 16 million, scrapping of 8 projects of Women Development Division resulted in a loss of Rs 42.8 million and closure of 13 projects of Environment Division caused a loss of Rs 329.1 million.