The provincial government finally gave the go ahead on Tuesday to commissioners and deputy commissioners of their respective districts – excluding Karachi – to utilise the district development funds. Financial accounts of the district governments were frozen soon after the restoration of commissionerate system in the province on November 6. The decision to authorise the new administration for utilisation of funds was taken at a meeting on the implementation of the District-Based Development Portfolio 2011-12 held at the Chief Minister’s House late Monday night. At the meeting, it was also decided that the issue of funds in Karachi would be resolved after consultations with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership.
According to an official handout, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah presided over the meeting. He said that after the restoration of commissionerate system in the province, the funds under development heads were withheld until the matter pertaining to limits of funds was fixed. “[But now] immediate action is necessary to be taken for provision of funds for development schemes.” Stressing on the officers to devote their energies and complete maximum developmental works, the chief minister was of the view that the present system was evolved because the previous [local governments] system could not deliver. “There was no relief for the common man under the previous local bodies’ system.”
Shah said that funds allocated for districts in the Annual Development Programme of the current fiscal year shall be released for initiating development works.
It was decided at the meeting that the deputy commissioners of their respective districts will be the project directors/administrators and supervise and complete the developmental schemes as per the new policy.
The divisional commissioners will head the respective Divisional Development Boards and monitor the development works in the districts under their control.
The limit of development funds for commissioners was fixed at Rs 40 million while that for the deputy commissioners was limited to Rs 20 million under ‘Account One’.
The Sindh Planning and Development Department will oversee and monitor the schemes to be completed by commissioners in their respective divisions.
It was also decided that the issues of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Development Authority will be discussed in a separate meeting that will be convened soon. The chief minister will hold separate meetings with all other departments.
Shah also directed that in case any scheme approved earlier is to be revised, it must be done after his approval.
The meeting was also attended among others by Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, Karachi Commissioner, and provincial secretaries of General Administration, Services, Finance, Works and Services, Planning and Development, Local Government and Law departments.