CM warns of action if funds not spent honestly

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said the government is spending public money on development schemes for the convenience of the public and it therefore becomes “our responsibility to spend honestly and work honestly”. 

“This should be the criteria to execute development works as this should remain the sole criteria for the purpose,” he said while presiding over a meeting at the CM House on Saturday on the development schemes being carried out under the district and provincial Annual Development Programme.

He said that by profession he was an engineer and could assess the quality of a development work. “You cannot hoodwink me. I would personally visit your under construction schemes hardly on a two hours’ notice and would take strict action when any dishonesty is found,” he warned and directed the secretaries of the works and services and irrigation departments to tell their engineers to ensure quality of work and not to leave their areas without informing the commissioners and taking permission from their secretaries.

Shah barred executive engineers from visiting the planning and development department and the finance department. “Let them focus on their work and it is not their responsibility to modify or revise their schemes or get the funds of their schemes released,” he said.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to stop giving allowing additional charge to one engineer in the irrigation and works & service departments. “This is a wrong policy and gives the impression of nepotism and it affects badly the performance of engineers. One engineer should be made responsible only for the position where he is posted,” he said and added that “This is a policy decision.”

The chief minister said that despite the release of online funds by the finance department, the district treasuries did not release them onward. On this, Hyderabad Commissioner Kazi Shahid Parvez said the treasuries released them funds when a certified copy issued by the finance department was presented. Taking a policy decision, he directed the finance department to withdraw the condition of presenting a certified copy.

The meeting was told that the schemes launched under the district ADP of Rs25 billion was not implemented properly. The chief minister directed the commissioners to monitor each and every scheme right from stage of being conceived to its execution so that quality could be maintained. He also urged them to keep visiting the under construction schemes of the provincial ADP. He also asked them to involve the deputy commissioner for inspections.

The meeting was informed that there was Rs8.5 billion maintenance and repair (M&R) budget for roads and buildings. The chief minister observed that the budget was low but it was not being used sagaciously. He directed the secretaries and commissioners to keep an eye on the utilisation of the budget.

Shah said every commissioner must have complete data of the schemes that needed repairs, when repairs started and what difference the repairs made.

He said he had already involved his cabinet members in visits to development schemes going on anywhere in the province. “I have made them bound to visit schools, hospitals and such other offices so that government departments and services turn to be public-welfare departments,” he said.

Larkana Commissioner Inam Dharejo pointed out that on the Indus Highway the ratio of road accidents had increased as it was single carriageway. He said that heavy cargo traffic flow had increased on it, which would reduce its life. He directed Chief Secretary Siddque Memon and his Principal Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch to coordinate with the NHA.

On the pointation of Sukkur Commissioner Abbas Baloch, the chief minister said the work on the Kumb-Nawabshah road would be started shortly.

Chief Minister Shah directed all the divisional commissioners to get the SNE of the completed health and education schemes from the finance department. “The scheme which has been completed must be made functional at the earliest,” he said.  

Malik meets CM

The chairman of the Standing Committee of the Senate on Interior, Rehman Malik, called on Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House.

In the meeting, they discussed law and order, new political developments taking place in the city and party issues.

Senator Malik congratulated Shah on organsing a mammoth public rally for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on October 16 in the city.

Chinese investors 

An eight-member delegation of Chinese investors, led by Liu Guoqiang, president of Sichuan Investment Group, discussed investment opportunities in the energy sector, particularly related to wind and solar energy.

The chief minister said there was a vast wind corridor at Jhimpir which had the potential of producing 50,000 megawatts. Similarly, Sindh had different corridors of solar energy where they could invest, he said. He asked Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Waseem to coordinate with the investors and arrange their meetings with line departments for necessary action and facilitation.