ISLAMABAD: The interim federal government, for the first time, is likely to release funds worth approximately Rs 29 billion for the development schemes proposed by former lawmakers across the country, it was learnt on Tuesday.
According to sources, the caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has desired constitution of the steering committee and the federal cabinet has granted its necessary approval for the formation of a 24-member steering committee.
And, this steering committee shall approve release/surrender of funds to the provincial governments, federal ministries and division. Similarly, the committee will ensure implementation of the schemes/programmes through provincial governments and line ministries/divisions as per approved policy. Likewise, this committee will periodically review the progress of the programmes/schemes, and oversee the financial aspects of the programmes/schemes.
Sources said that four caretaker federal ministers and nine senators have been included in the 24-member committee. They said that the disbursement of funds after the dissolution of the National Assembly was stopped due to the dissolution of the steering committee.
They said Rs 90 billion were allocated for development schemes for the current financial year and the PDM government had released funds worth Rs 61 billion in just 40 days for the development schemes. Remaining Rs 29 billion worth funds which were stalled will now be released for the development schemes across the country, said sources.
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples’ Party and other political parties demanded for the release of funds for the development schemes, the sources added.
It is also learnt from sources that Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Minister for Communication has been made chairman of this steering committee while Senator Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, Minister for Interior, Dr. Nadeem Jan, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Madad Ali Jan, Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training, Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Palwasha Khan, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Mohsin Aziz, Senator Tahir Bizenjo, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafique Tareen, SenatorArbab Umar Farooq, Senator Syed Faisal Ali Sabzwari have been made members of the steering committee.
They said Secretary, ministry/division, has been made the Secretary of the committee while Secretaries of Finance, Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, power, petroleum, Housing & Works, Interior divisions have been made members of the committee and Additional Chief Secretaries (Development) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh are also made as members of the steering committee.
As per revised guidelines for Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP), the schemes of education, health , clean drinking water, roads (including streets, bridges etc.), sanitation, gas (missing gas infrastructure, subject to availability of gas, duly certified by the petroleum division), electricity (including solar system), interventions leading to SDGs (i.e. graveyard, places of worship, playgrounds, public parks and other community development initiatives etc.) would qualify for funding from the SDGs Achievement Pragramme (SAP) to develop human resource and ensure balanced regional growth.
Document available with Pakistan Today/Profit discloses the procedure which will be adopted for implementing the programme.
Under the procedure, at least 10 residents of the area, will identify the scheme(s), and the scheme(s) with estimated cost ranging between Rs 0.25 million to Rs 50 million shall be included in the programme. There will be no upper limit for gas sector schemes to enable Sui Companies i-e SNGPL and SSGCL to undertake projects having highest cost. In case of power sector scheme(s), the lower limit shall be Rs 0.15 million. Similarly, the schemes shall be forwarded by the residents to the concerned Deputy Commissioners for processing and approval from the approving forum as per rules/policy/instructions.
Likewise, the request of schemes may also be forwarded by the residents to the federal executing agencies of respective ministries/division for processing and approval from the approving forum as per riles/policy/instructions. Furthermore, Steering Committee is authorized to recommend release of lump-sum allocation of proposed funds to the provincial governments, federal ministries/division for further release/utilization by the executing agencies against approved schemes. The funds will be released in the form of sanction letter/surrender orders, said document.
It is also learnt from the documents that concerned federal ministries/provincial governments/executing agencies will ensure fulfilling all the legal/codal formalities for utilization of funds. They will be responsible for statutory audit of the funds and clearing all liabilities as a result of any adjudication/ legal dispensation. Moreover, the divisional commissioner shall oversee the progress of schemes in the districts by establishing divisional level monitoring setup and submit monitoring reports to the steering committee through the respective planning and development departments.
