Senate panel on planning meeting: Senators refuse to send budget proposals in protest

ISLAMABAD: While boycotting the proceedings by senators, the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has decided that they would not send recommendations to National Assembly on development projects for budget 2020-21 in protest.

The Senators were annoyed because all of their recommendations were not made part of the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2020-21.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani here at the Parliament House on Wednesday and was attended among others by Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Gianchand, Hidayatullah, Naseebullah Bazai, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and senior officers from the ministry. Chairman Committee Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani observed that Parliamentarians are public representatives, they take steps for resolution of their problems and for development and welfare of the area. He said that every time the members of Parliament try their best to have numerous schemes and projects added into the PSDP for the next financial year for welfare and prosperity of their respective provinces but it is a disappointment when recommendations are invited but are not made part of the final budget statement that is passed. Senator Usman Kakar observed that every constituency and every district of the province Balochistan needs development work but it's a pity that our recommendations are not implemented and till we are given assurance of this implementation, there is no use of presenting our recommendations. Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Mir Kabeer Muhammad Shahi, Gianchand and Naseebullah BAzai were also of the opinion that not incorporating Senate's PSDP recommendations is an insult to the House and Senate which is the representative of the federating units should be heard when provincial projects are being finalized and they should not be entirely based on just the recommendations of provincial governments or the recommendations of MNAs. Minister for Planning Asad Umar said that it is stated in the rules that Senate will make recommendations in two weeks to the budget statement but nothing was mentioned afterwards as to what will be the course of action on those recommendations. He said that that the budget is the prerogative of the federal government and the National Assembly to pass it. He also said that when it comes to PSDP projects the provinces have the basic and most important role and federal government cannot add any project or scheme that has not been approved by the provinces. The minister told the committee that provinces are represented in ECNEC and CDWP and soon the government will make a committee where members of National Assembly and Senate will be given representations and the implementation status of the PSDP schemes will be analyzed. The members of the Committee expressed serious concerns over this situation. They were of the view that when projects cannot be added without provincial consent then why is the Senate asked to give recommendations.

Members spend huge time and energy over preparing recommendations and when they are not heard or accepted this turns out to be nothing but wasting precious resources. Members decided to boycott the proceedings of the meeting and decided that in protest no recommendation will be given to the National Assembly on the PSDP for the Budget 2020-21.