During his recent visit to Karachi, the prime minister announced development package of Rs 25 billion for Karachi and Rs 5 billion for Hyderabad, which, according to Governor Sindh Muhammad Zubair, would be managed through Governor House to ensure transparent utilization of the funds. Senator Mandviwala said that this is interference by Governor Sindh and is not only a violation of the constitution, but is also a well-thought strategy by the ruling PML-N to bribe MQM-P in the wake of the prevailing political situation.
"There is a proper laid down mechanism for approval and utilization of a package announced by the federal government for any province. Any project which the prime minister announces is included in the federal PSDP. "Subsequently, it is placed before the ECNEC (Executive Committee of National Economic Council) for formal approval to make it part of the federal PSDP, and the Prime Minister can not ask the Governor who is the representative of the federal government to sit on billions of rupees project," Mandviwalla maintained.
It is unprecedented to set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) at Governor House to monitor utilisation of the funds provided by the federal government, he added. Mandviwala said the intentions of the government to utilize billions of rupees through the Governor are quite clear: they are doling out the funds to appease the MQM-P, but the PPP will resist any such move that violates the law and constitution.
The prime minister informed the federal cabinet on Tuesday that the development package for Karachi and Hyderabad would be "implemented by the federal government under the policy and administrative supervision of Governor Sindh with fixed timelines and fixed costs."
Under the development package for Karachi, one hospital and medical college will be established, extension of Greenline Metro to other areas of the city, additional resources for new water projects, purchase of 50 fire trucks for Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC), construction of series of underpasses and bridges to reduce the traffic mess in the city.
The Rs 5 billion announced for Hyderabad would be utilized to establish a university and medical college, cash grants for Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and up-gradation of infrastructure of all industrial estates in the city.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017