President Asif Zardari has failed to ensure the implementation of his own decision, the fate of schemes worth more than Rs 12 billion under the president’s directive hangs in the balance as the planning commission has shown reluctance to go-ahead with the projects.
These schemes were earlier announced by President Zardari during his visit to Sindh in early 2011. However, no progress was made on the schemes following the apathy of the officials associated with the planning commission, well-placed sources confided in Pakistan Today.
Interestingly, the higher platform to resolve the pending issues of provinces with the centre – the Council of Common Interests (CCI) – had also given its decision in favour of Sindh, but the influential bureaucracy at the federal capital threw away the CCI’s decision and refused to finance Rs 12318.836 million worth of schemes.
The schemes included development of infrastructure in various estates of Sindh Industrial Trading Estates (SITE) Limited at Rs 2, 000 million, establishment of four Combined Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) for industrial areas of the provincial metropolis, including laying of interceptor sewers at Rs 7, 366 million, infrastructure development of industrial estates at Larkana at a cost of Rs 2404.489 million and the establishment of China industrial zone at Shahdadpur at Rs 548.347 million.
After the president’s announcement, the Sindh government’s planning and development department had submitted details of all the schemes with the planning commission to undergo the official procedure. However, the planning commission delayed the implementation process by saying that the provinces should arrange funds on their own as they had been empowered financially after the 18th Amendment and devolution process, the sources added.
Meanwhile, as the planning commission was adopting delaying tactics, the Sindh government later approached the CCI that gave a decision in favour of Sindh.
In its meeting, presided over by ex-prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, the CCI decided that the funding for the implementation of the president’s/prime minister directives shall continue to be made by the federal government.
Besides, the CCI also decided that, “The current expenditures of the devolved institutions, organisations and departments shall be borne by the provincial government beyond June 30, 2011”.
Furthermore, in order to persuade the PC authorities to ensure that the huge financing required for the schemes was released, the Sindh government forwarded a letter recently with a subject “Pending Issues with Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan”.
“I am directed to state that as per decisions of CCI taken in its meeting held on April 28, 2011 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of Pakistan, funding for the implementation of the President’s/Prime Minster’s directives shall continue to be made by the federal government”, sources said while quoting text of the letter forwarded to the planning commission.
“Since these schemes were prepared on the directive of the Honourable President of Pakistan, as such it is requested that the matter may kindly be taken up with the Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan to reconsider the schemes in the light of decision of the CCI dated 28-04-2011”, stated the letter.
Now, the sources said the provincial finance department was worried about the fate of such important schemes that were yet to receive huge funding from the centre.
