The government had made a major cut in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) while releasing Rs 27 billion funds for new gas supply schemes of the lawmakers and an ex-post approval of the federal cabinet is likely to be obtained during the next meeting of the cabinet.
On condition of anonymity, official sources in the Cabinet Division informed Pakistan Today that the government was all set to get ex-post approval from the federal cabinet regarding release of Rs 27 billion funds from PSDP for new gas schemes.
And, next meeting of the cabinet is likely to submit its nod to the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif regarding cut in the PSDP and release of funds for the schemes. “Contrary to the procedure, around Rs 13 billion heavy cut in PSDP spending has been made by the government to complete gas schemes,” the sources said.
The sources said that hydel power projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, small dams of Balochistan and safe drinking water supply projects of south Punjab have been affected due to cut in PSDP. Out of around Rs 27 billion worth gas supply schemes, Rs 13 billion funds have been arranged through a cut in PSDP.
While existing gas consumers will bear Rs 12 billion additional burden in current year and Rs 2.2 billion funds of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been released to accomplish the gas supply schemes, it said. Surprisingly, the government has allocated Rs 20 billion funds to meet SDGs in the budget. But, out of Rs 20 billion of SDGs, the government has released Rs 2.2 billion funds for new gas supply schemes, while planning ministry has kept the details of remaining funds of Rs 17.8 billion secret.
Similarly, Pakistan has two lakh kilometres long South Asia’s largest gas pipeline network which usually causes Rs 40 billion annual losses on account of Unaccounted for Gas (UfG). Also, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi has been found against new gas schemes and remained in favour of moratorium on new gas connections imposed earlier during the tenure of previous Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government because of acute gas shortage.
But, the petroleum minister is also among those 100 lawmakers including federal ministers who have obtained funds from the government to get complete their gas supply schemes ahead of the next general elections, likely to be held in 2018. Most of these gas schemes are being implemented in Punjab also constituencies of ruling party’s key members, which are believed to be aimed at winning the support of voters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has also got benefit in the forms of release of funds for gas scheme. Details of beneficiaries reveal names of around 100 lawmakers who got funds from the government to get complete gas supply schemes of their respective constituencies. A major beneficiary is Capital Administration and Development Division Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who has received Rs2.5 billion for his NA-49 constituency.
Captain Safdar has received Rs2.3 billion for gas supply in his NA-21 constituency. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi has got Rs1.4 billion indirect and Rs1.1 billion direct funding for NA-18 constituency in Abbottabad. Chaudhry Bilal Ahmed Virk has been given Rs2.7 billion for gas connection in various localities in NA-136, Sheikhupura district. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Fazlur Rehman has got Rs770 million for NA-24, Dera Ismail Khan.
Minister of Human Rights Kamran Michael has received four million rupees for gas supply in Sheikhupura. Similarly, other beneficiaries include Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister of Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister of Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, Minister of Population Welfare Punjab Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Minister of Kashmir Affairs Muhammad Barjees Tahir, State Minister of Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, Secretary Syed Saqlain Shah Bukhari, Standing Committee on Human Rights Chairman Babar Nawaz Khan, Talal Chaudhry, Baleeghur Rehman and Saira Afzal Tarar, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudry, Haji Akram Ansari, Muhammad Amjad Farooq Khosa (MNA-NA-171), Arshad Khan Laghari (MNA-NA-197), Afzal Khokar ( MNA-NA 128), Baleegh ur Rehman, Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan (MNA-NA 141) etc who got funds from the government to get complete their gas supply schemes prior to election year (2018) in the country.
