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CDGK, Sindh govt cross swords over uplift projects
By Mukhtar Alam A summary of the CDGK’s demand for additional money for flyovers/interchanges, roads, construction and rehabilitation work has been sent to the Sindh CM, said official sources. - File photo KARACHI: The City District Government of Karachi is unable to continue with various planned development projects because of what CDGK sources describe as the ‘unwillingness’ of Sindh government bureaucrats to allocate sufficient funds for the projects in the provincial annual development programme (ADP). Dawn has learnt that the provincial ADP’s allocations for projects in Karachi have gradually decreased over the years and now authorities in the Sindh government appear to be more critical when evaluating development schemes for the city for the financial year 2009-10. The total outlay of the provincial ADP 2007-08 was Rs40 billion, including an allocation of Rs6.698 billion (16.74 per cent) for CDGK projects.However, the CDGK share in the total provincial ADP (Rs55 billion) was reduced to Rs5.336 billion (9.70 per cent) in 2008-09. A source said that in view of the lower allocation during 2008-09, the CDGK had, about a month ago, requested the provincial government to provide an additional – ‘but essential’ – amount of Rs1.14 billion against its 11 ongoing projects, including flyovers, bridges, drains, major urban and rural roads and service road construction. However, any re-appropriation or grant of money for the purpose was still awaited from the Sindh government, a source at the CDGK said. Moreover, the authorities in the city government are also annoyed over the allegedly ‘indifferent attitude of the provincial bureaucracy’ responsible for approving development schemes of districts for financing by the provincial government. It was learnt that the city government had proposed 65 new schemes in all to the provincial government for the ADP 2009-10, as suggested by its works and services department, municipal services group of offices, public health engineering division, transport and communication department, parks and horticulture department and health department. The proposed projects or schemes are likely to incur a total expenditure of about Rs19.3 billion.However, not a single proposed scheme had been considered for the provincial ADP 2009-10, claimed one senior official in the city government. Sindh govt officials deny claims Meanwhile, a source in the Planning & Development (P&D) department of the Sindh government said that this assertion on the part of the CDGK was incorrect. To accommodate the proposals submitted by the CDGK, a lump-sum allocation of Rs3 billion had been made in the coming budget, the source said. Citing the reasons for the lump-sum allocation, the source said that the CDGK’s or public representatives’ development schemes were received by the P&D department at a time when the ADP schemes brought up by various other departments had already been finalised. He further clarified that the role of the P&D department was not to include or drop a scheme. He said it was the responsibility of the administrative departments concerned to submit their proposals to the P&D department to adjust the allocations as per the size of budget allocations.In addition to the Rs3 billion, an amount of Rs1.65 billion is also being earmarked for various schemes in Lyari, Keamari and Malir towns, which are also integral parts of Karachi, the P&D source remarked. Moreover, the CDGK will be provided with funding to the tune of Rs3.4 billion under ‘ongoing special projects’ for Karachi, besides the sectoral ADP allocations, which include ‘physical planning and housing’ (Rs1.288 billion), health (Rs1.1 billion), education (Rs645 million) livestock and fisheries (Rs416 million) and water and drainage (Rs135 million). It was further added that the overall allocation for Karachi under the provincial ADP in the new budget would be around Rs17 billion, which is about 23 per cent of the total ADP of the province.In the meantime, another source in the government said that a summary pertaining to the CDGK’s demand for additional money for flyovers/interchanges, roads, construction and rehabilitation work had been sent to the chief minister of the province. DAWN: Saturday, 13 Jun, 2009 |
