Expanding demand for social sector services

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By Khalique Zuberi

As general elections are fast approaching and political parties aspiring to ascend to power are carrying their campaigns, the much neglected social sectors have been crying for greater attention. Though both Federal and provincial governments claim that resource allocations have been increased for these sectors and much improvement work has gone apace, yet the reality on the ground tells a different story.

It is well known that unemployment is high, most of government educational institutions are in pathetic conditions, the private ones are out of reach except to the elite, health facilities tell the same story and availability of clean drinking water is yet to be available to a large number of people. Not that the present state of affairs in these areas of vital importance for the people is not known to leadership both within the government as well as outside but something is amiss somewhere. It is a strong political will to accord the attention and priority that social services deserve.

The dichotomy, however, is that the efforts to develop social sectors do not perhaps kept pace with demands of the rising population .The most challenging job remains to lift the poor above the poverty line. It is claimed to have been sufficiently reduced but obviously much work remains to be done in this regard. The improvement in social sectors is essentially in the domain of the provincial governments. Here it must be said that under the existing NFC formula, their share in divisible pool has substantially increased. Therefore the usual lament bout lack of resources would not hold the ground. The task is two-fold to improve the existing social services and start new ones in a planned and phased manner.

It might be educative and enlightening if the political parties come out with social sectors reform agenda in their election campaigns. People have heard much about moving towards self-reliance and making the country a social welfare state. How distant have we remained from these goals is no secret. The promises made to the people at the time of elections usually recede into background as other state matters take precedence. Let it be different this time.

The ultimate objective of economic progress is larger welfare of the people. This reflects in growing incomes, price stability and availability of social sector services at affordable cost. The oft-repeated refrain in development effort is that fruits of development should reach the people. In order to move wards that goal, the expansion of social safety nets would be the pressing need in times ahead. The next government would be expected to move in that direction with vigour and speed.