KP Assembly concludes debate on supplementary budget

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly concluded the debate on the supplementary budget for the financial year 2019-20 as the opposition questioned the additional spending despite lockdown.

Parliamentary leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP) Sardar Hussain Babak, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sardar Yousaf, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Lutfur Rahman and others took part in the debate. They objected to presenting the supplementary budget and also complained of ignoring their constituencies in the development projects. In her speech, Sobia Shahid of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) raised a question, saying where the money was spent and how the need for a supplementary budget arrived when the government machinery remained closed due to the corona pandemic.

She said the document shows budget 2019-20 but for six months of 2020, everything remained closed then where the money was spent. The irregularities in billion tree tsunami project were not enough that more is being done, she alleged. She said Asad Umer had claimed of building metro bus project in six billion but the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project could not be completed even in Rs100 billion and more funds are being allocated for it. She said the government should clarify where the money was spent when everything was closed due to lockdown. Maulana Lutfur Rahman, Parliamentary leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), in his speech said when opposition members talked about BRT the treasury members get emotional and start emotional speeches.

The House should be informed that why the project was delayed and where was the fault? Buses have been parked under the open sky and are being rusted but the project was yet to be completed, he added. He said the opposition’s criticism was meant for pinpointing the shortcomings in projects of billions of rupees and people of the province should know that what is in their interest and for facilitating them. Awami National Party (ANP) MPA from Mohman Nisar Mohmand said there was confusion over National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was in power in the Centre and three provinces but the merged tribal areas were not given its three percent share.

The girls degree college in his area was not functional and BHU had no electricity, he complained. He said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were only for the poor and not for rich and influential.

He said bureaucracy was hatching a conspiracy against the merger. He demanded internet facility in the tribal areas and said the funds under umbrella scheme for ex-Fata should be distributed on the tehsil level on the basis of population. Shafiq Sher of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) said the prime minister vision was to bring the backwards on a par with the developed areas but the merged tribal areas are still lagging behind and schools are not available.

He demanded reopening of community schools to overcome the shortage. He said there was a drinking water shortage in Khyber and women has to fetch water on heads from long distances. Patients in hospitals are facing hardships due to electricity loadshedding and there was no girl college in his constituency, he complained. Inayatullah Khan of JI and PPP Sahibzada Sanaullah said a number of people from Upper and Lower Dir have died of corona in Gulf countries and the bodies were lying in cold storages but the government did not make any arrangements to bring them. In his reply, Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said the opposition was presenting wrong figures about BRT as only Rs3.5 billion additional were allocated to the project. He said the Lahore Metro buses were rented while for BRT own buses have been purchased.

The BRT projects include own buses, commercial plazas, parking lots, 3.5 kilometer underpasses and drivers’ training, he added. Earlier, Fateha was offered for former amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Munawwar Hasan.