Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that under the new Rs 200 billion annual development programme, 2,773 schemes would be completed well in time for which he directed to constitute a technical inspection team to ensure quality of work. “I would not tolerate any kind of slackness or inefficiency because I believe inefficiency is part of corruption.”
The chief minister said this while presiding over a joint meeting of planning and development, finance and works departments to take policy decision regarding release of funds, implementation of schemes in time and ensuring quality of work at CM House on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Senior Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, ACS (Dev) Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Secretary Works and Services Aijaz Memon and others.
Senior Minister for Finance and P&D Syed Murad Shah briefed the chief minister and said that the new ADP was of Rs 225 billion, including Rs 200 billion provincial and Rs25 billion district ADP. He said out of Rs 200 billion, Rs 199.146 billion had been allocated for 1777 on-going schemes and Rs 80.854 billion for 996 new schemes.
Talking about releases strategy, Syed Murad Shah said that 100 per cent allocation of Rs 28.623 billion for 577 on-going schemes to be completed by June 17, 2017, have been released in the first quarter. The remaining 1200 schemes to be completed in the next financial year would be provided funds of Rs 85.377 billion in two equal installments of Rs 42.688 billion. The first installment would be released in the first quarter and second installment in the third quarter.
The minister briefed about the new schemes and said that they would also be provided funds in two equal installments of Rs40.474 billion in the second and fourth quarters. On this, the chief minister directed the P&D department to approve the new schemes in PDWP and in the technical committee within next three months so that they could be started in time.
The chief minister directed Senior Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Siddique Memon to take necessary measure for proper utilisation of funds, quality of work and completion of the schemes in time. “I will hold the concerned secretary, engineer and project director responsible if a scheme(s) is delayed or quality of work is not maintained,” he said, and added “I am not accusing any officer of corruption but inefficiency is not less than corruption,” he said.
The chief minister directed ACS (Dev) Mohammad Waseem to mobilise a monitoring and evaluation teams and keep him abreast of monthly reports of development schemes. “You must have a scientific method to assess a scheme,” he said, and added that he would directly send cases to anti-corruption in case of unsatisfactory report.