The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed the provincial budget for year 2011-12 on Friday, approving grants worth Rs 439 billion moved by the government but rejecting all cut motions moved by the opposition with majority votes.
Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah congratulated Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on presenting a better budget than ever before, and hoped that the people of the province will see the benefits of the budget. He appreciated the opposition members’ role in the budget-making process, and thanked them for their cooperation in the successful passage of the budget.
The CM announced a three-month salary bonus for all employees of the Sindh Assembly Secretariat, Finance Department and Law Department for their efforts in the preparation and presenting of the budget. MPAs belonging to the PPP also demanded incentives for themselves but the CM did not give any positive response to their demand.
Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali congratulated the government on the budget, but stressed the need for proper utilisation of funds to provide relief to people. He also hoped that the government would take steps for eliminating corruption from government departments. He also emphasised the need for proper planning if the tax collection targets are to be met.
Earlier, members of the opposition presented some 653 cut motions, seeking reduction of operating expenses in different departments. They were of the view that sums saved from the reductions could in turn be utilised for benefit of the people.
Jam Madad Ali argued that the government has made unnecessary increases in the expenses of provincial ministers, advisors and special assistants in the budget. He said that allocations for the Chief Minister House and Governor House have also increased, and needed to be reduced.
According to him, funds for purchasing furniture and other items have also been unjustifiably increased. Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s (PML-F) Nusrat Saher Abbasi said that the province was already under severe financial constraints due to heavy loans and destructions caused by the floods, and therefore, the government needed to reduce its operating expenses. Another PML-F member, Marvi Rashdi, said that the government can reduce the allocations made for repairs and maintenance, and utilise those sums on the welfare of the people.
Abdul Razaque Rahimoon of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) said that some money needed to directed towards the improvement of government hospitals’ condition. Finance Minister Murad Shah said that the government has already reduced Rs 15 billion on account of non-development expenditure of the province, and no further cuts could be made in any allocations since the amounts specified are necessary to run the government’s affairs. He also said that the government has already made allocations for rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas.
Syed Sardar Ahmed, parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) termed the presentation of cut motions on the budget a futile and time-wasting exercise, saying that no cut motions have ever been admitted in the parliamentary history of the country. He said that all parties can do some things by holding special sittings on the issue if they are serious in curtailing expenditure on different accounts.
