Sindh assembly budget debate: MPAs stress need for proper utilisation of uplift funds

The Sindh Provincial Assembly on Monday opened the debate on Rs 458.428 billion budget for fiscal year 2011-12, and the legislators termed it a 'better' government effort, but wanted proper utilisation of funds with extreme caution to timely completion of the uplift schemes.
Some 21 lawmakers from both sides of the house participated in the first day's debate. Deputy speaker Shela Raza was in the chair. Members from the treasury benches including PPP and MQM expressed great satisfaction over the "tax-free" and surplus budget, and accredited the successful making of the Sindh's fiscal plan to their respective leaderships.
Some MPAs also wanted the government to take more steps to boost the agriculture sector of the province, which in their views, was the backbone of the provincial economy, with 60 percent of total population involved. PPP members particularly termed the setting up of Sindh Bank a pivotal decision of the government, saying that it would help the lower tiers of farmers and students to obtain small loans for their objectives.
They were in consensus over the lapses and irregularities of funds allocated for different uplift schemes, saying that many of the projects did not reach completion for pathetic departments' role. They wanted the government to keep a strict check on funds' utilisation by the concerned departments during the coming fiscal year.
They complained that although the government had allocated huge sum for development of the transport and road communication sector, some districts were still ignored to get the benefit of the funds and plans in this regard. They said the Rs 882 million surplus amount in the budget should be utilised for uplift schemes.
However, a minority member, Pitumber Siwani, called for protection of non-Muslim citizens in the province against fake police cases by influential people of the area. He regretted that Sindh Minority Minister never bothered to meet the victims of unjust practices in far-flung parts of Sindh, where influential people subject them to fake police FIRs and torture.
He urged Sindh Excise Minister to abolish five percent excise duty on liquor which the Hindu minority people use, and asked him to offset the tax losses from import levies. He said the government had not allocated anything for the welfare of minorities in the province. Faheem Ahmed, of MQM, wanted the government to tax the agriculture sector, but also sought a special attention for this sector's development and showed dissatisfaction over the fiscal budget allocation, saying that 60 percent of Sindh's total population was associated with the sector.
He advised the house to abolish the commission on agriculture products, which farmers have to pay for sales in the province's markets. He said rather the government should impose a tax on agriculture sector, as landlords enjoy the luxury of tax holiday whereas the salaried class were slapped with income and other taxes.
He said that fertiliser prices had shot to new highs during the current season and urged the government to intervene for scaling down the hike to a normal level so that the farmers could buy the plants nourishment for their crops. He also invited the government's attention to start development work on the already approved trauma centre in Mirpurkhas.
Minister for Minorities Saleem Khursheed Khokhar urged the government to set up an education system in child prisons so that those children who accidentally became inmates should be given the right to learn and stop them from becoming jailbirds and permanent outlaws in society.
He said there are some forces who want to get the government's Sheldon de-nationalised in the old city area of Boulton Market. He said the government should spare some funds for the school rebuilding as the founder of Pakistan had also learned his early education from there.
Bilqees Mukhtar, of MQM, said the government should focus on how to arrest the soaring food prices, as fruits and other essential commodities had gone out of the poor purchasing powers in the city. She said the chaki atta was available for Rs 34 a kg, sugar Rs 70, milk Rs 70 a litre, mutton Rs 550 a kg, beef Rs 290 a kg, ghee Rs 65 and cooking oil Rs 70 were available.
She said a family's grocery bill of a month used to be between Rs 3000 and Rs 3500 which had reached now Rs 7000 for hike in the commodities prices. She stressed that faulty electricity meters were charging 30 percent more bills from consumers. Ayesha Khoso, of PPP, rejected the criticism of the government, as some members wanted the rulers to arrest the food inflation, saying the price hike in the essential commodities rates was directly linked to the global markets.
She said the government's main focus had been on solving the energy crisis and Thar Energy Board was a manifestation of its commitments. She said setting up of Sindh Bank would help the students and farmers to obtain loans, saying that total 50 branches would be established in different parts of the province to help the citizens.
Dr Ahmed Ali, of PPP, said the government's "tax-free" budget was a success story of its good governance in the province, adding that Sindh had emerged as the first province to take over the RGS on services. He said the proper utilisation of funds for development schemes was an issue, which the government had to focus on, too. The deputy speaker observed that absence of secretaries of different departments had seriously been felt during the session as it was the budget discussion and their presence was badly needed to assist the members and ministers.
On which, Sindh Education Minister Mazharul Haq said he would inform CM about the issue and agreed that secretaries ought to be present to help their ministers. Ali Murad, Shamim Ara Panwar, Anwar Ahmad Khan Maher, Muzzamal Qurehsi, Rukhsan Shah, Naheed Begum, Ghulam Isran, and others also spoke on the budget. The house will meet on Tuesday at 9.30 am.