The government has cancelled around 150 Public Sector Development Projects worth Rs199 billion despite spending Rs27 billion on them. A senior official speaking on condition of anonymity said, “The planning commission has abolished around 150 developmental projects mostly related to agriculture sector without giving any valid justification”. “The projects were abolished due to reasons best known to high officials who were involved in inking and finalising the agreements but they are mum so far about their decision to cancel these projects,” said the official. Sources termed deletion of projects as a conspiracy against the government, saying it will generate unemployment and the affected may have to approach the High Courts which will add to government woes.
“Projects have been deleted verbally after a pick and choose method without constituting any committee and citing justifications for doing so,” sources said, adding that who will be held responsible for the Rs27 billon spending expenditure incurred on the projects so far. Sources further added that no allocation has been made for the deleted projects during current fiscal year 2011-12 whereas allocations had been made during last fiscal year. When in this regard Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haq was contacted, he said that the government has rationalised only those projects which were slow moving and less important but he avoided to use the term delete and repeatedly using the word rationalise for the deleted projects. However, sources said that rationalisation of the project means that it has been postponed or delayed while the aforementioned projects have been deleted altogether not rationalised.