Rs29 bn for MPs’ schemes: Mechanism worked out for allocation, release of funds

ISLAMABAD: A mechanism has been devised for approval and supervision of development schemes recommended by federal and provincial lawmakers and allocation and release of funds for them out of the total available resources of Rs29 billion during the current fiscal year.

Of these funds, an amount of Rs24b has been taken out of annual allocations for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and other initiatives while a sum of Rs5b was already available under this head for the purpose.

Through a letter (F.1(3)/2018-19-SO(Dev-II), a copy of which is available with The News, the Cabinet Division has constituted a steering committee headed by Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Naeemul Haq on Political Affairs.

The two previous governments led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had allotted whopping amounts for the development projects suggested by the MPs. At the time, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) severely attacked them for a number of times alleging that national resources are being squandered this way. Now, it is following in their footsteps.

The steering committee comprises federal ministers, PTI MPs and bureaucrats, including Pervez Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Khusro Bakhtiar, Omer Ayub, Ali Muhammad Khan, Aftab Hussain Siddiqui, Khan Muhammad Jamali, Amir Dogar and Aminul Haq, and secretaries of cabinet, finance, planning, power, petroleum and housing & works, and chairman of Planning & Devslopment (P&D) Board, Punjab, and additional chief secretaries (ACS) of development of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

According to the letter, during the current financial year development schemes for sanitation, health, clean drinking water etc., with estimated cost ranging between Rs0.5 million to Rs50 million, would be accepted by the Cabinet Division up to March 15, 2019. However, in other financial years, the identified schemes would reach the cabinet division by December 31.

The steering committee, established for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Achievement Programme, will recommend to the Cabinet Division release of funds for development schemes; ensure their implementation through provincial governments and line ministries/divisions as per approved policy; periodically monitor the progress and review its impact assessment; resolve the issue arising during the implementation process; and oversee the financial aspects of the programme. Only new schemes would be executed and no past unfunded projects would be included in it.

The Cabinet Division also issued the guidelines and Terms of Reference (ToRs) for execution of the development schemes proposed by the lawmakers. The request for financing of a scheme will be forwarded to the concerned deputy commissioner for processing. He will in return send it to the concerned executing agencies for technical feasibility and cost estimates. The proposal would then be submitted to the competent forum for approval.

The schemes would be submitted to the ministry/division concerned (for projects to be executed by federal agencies); and to Chairman, P&D Board/ACS (Dev) (for schemes to be executed by provincial agencies) for issuance of administrative approval and requesting release of funds from the Cabinet Division.

The administrative approval invariably would include: the schemes are feasible and in public interest; no other executing agency has undertaken or is undertaking them in the area; the operation, maintenance and recurring costs will be borne by the provincial/local governments concerned; if schemes are started within two months of date of issuance of administrative approval, the funds will be immediately surrendered to the federal government/cabinet division; and land for the purpose of development schemes where applicable will not form part of the cost estimates in the scheme. In case private land is offered by the community, its mutation in the name of designated government agency will be effected prior to execution of the scheme. Based on amount approval of the steering committee, funding for the schemes executed through federal agencies will be made to the respective accounting officer in the form of surrender order for obtaining funds through technical supplementary grant.

For schemes to be executed by the provincial agencies, funds will be transferred to the provincial governments by issuing sanction letter duly endorsed by the finance division.

There will be no substitution, addition or deletion of schemes after their approval. Physical work will start after fulfilling all codal formalities and the executing agencies will ensure that the projects are competed within the stipulated time and the approval cost.

Schemes identified for a specified financial year will be completed within the same year. No cost overrun will be admissible, and there will be no cushion available to meet any extra cost on any account. Additional funding/throw forward will not be permissible. Lapsed funds in one financial year will not be recouped in the next financial year.

The savings against the schemes completed will be surrendered immediately on completion without waiting for closing of the financial year. No new scheme will be entertained against savings of the originally funded schemes.

The accounting officers of ministries/chairman, P&D Board/ACS (Dev) will be responsible to ensure the quality of work and furnish to the cabinet division monthly progress on physical work and utilisation of funds. Expenditure will not be incurred on purchase of equipment (if no part of the scheme), vehicles, fixtures, salaries, printing of diaries, calendar or banners, holding of official meetings and dinner parties etc. Similarly, no administrative overheads will be charged by any agency for execution of these schemes.

The provincial governments and federal agencies would be responsible to submit monitoring and evaluation reports to the steering committee.

It was stated that thousands of villages are still without electricity and gas. Pakistan has signed the SDGs and there is need of targeted interventions, which will enable Pakistan to join the league of upper middle class countries by 2030. Pakistan was the first country to adopt SDGs 2030 agenda through unanimous resolution of Parliament in February 2016.