ISLAMABAD: The federal and Punjab governments have decided to release millions of rupees for development schemes in the National Assembly constituencies across the province only to the parliamentarians belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), whereas all the members belonging to the opposition are being denied development funds for their constituencies.
According to official sources, for the current fiscal year, the distribution of funds out of the development budget for the PML-N members would be started very soon, so that these PML-N members could utilise them before the general election scheduled for next year.
Each constituency of the National Assembly in the Punjab would get Rs200m—Rs100 million each to be provided by the federal and Punjab governments. Opposition parties termed government move as part of its preparations for next elections. However, the government has decided to release Rs100 million for each constituency very soon, while the remaining Rs100 million will be released by the start of next year, because the government is short of funds.
According to report, Finance Department has released only 10 per cent of funds for development projects and schemes so far during the current fiscal year. There are reports that the government has also decided to increase the development budget from Rs100 million to Rs 500 million, as in their last year of government it seeks to get the support of the masses before the next general elections.
A senior leader of the PML-N said that the government had already received development plans from PML-N parliamentarians on the basis of the Rs500 million for each constituency. According to reports, in those constituencies where the PML-N lost the 2013 elections, the local party leaders or ticket holders who lost the election have been asked to prepare the development schemes, and they would be responsible for the distribution and spending of the development funds. The MNAs and MPAs belonging to the opposition parties would have no say in the development works.
The opposition members said they submitted the development schemes for their constituencies but the government did not include them in the current fiscal year development projects. Pakistan Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, while commenting on the lack of development funds, said the projects of maternity and pediatric hospitals and the Girls College Saddar in his constituency in Rawalpindi initiated by him were pending for over eight years due to lack of funds as he is in the opposition.
According to reports, the opposition members of the National and Punjab assemblies are being neglected again, whereas, during the last three years, the federal and the Punjab governments did not provide funds to the opposition members for development of their constituencies.