Rs 653.396 billion demands for grants approved by National Assembly

The National Assembly on Saturday approved as many as 30 demands for grants worth Rs 653.396 billion including Rs 505.7 billion for Defence, Rs 141.97 billion for Cabinet Division and Rs 5.73 billion for Communication Division by rejecting 207 cut motions of the opposition.
Federal Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh tabled these demands for grants pertaining to 2011-12 for approval. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members presented 207 cut motions on these demands, but the minister opposed them. After discussion, the Lower House of the Parliament rejected these cut motions.
The National Assembly approved demands for grants worth Rs 495 billion for Defence Services, Rs 182.510 million Cabinet, Rs 2.805 billion Cabinet Division, Rs 205.554 million emergency relief and repatriation, Rs 6.242 billion other expenditures of Cabinet Division, Rs 1.353 billion Establishment Division, Rs 295.214 million Federal Public Service Commission, Rs 1.99 billion other expenditure of Establishment Division, Rs 3.77 billion Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs 546.57 million Prime Minister's Secretariat, Rs 156.574 million Board of Investment, Rs 629.974 million for National Accountability Bureau, Rs 49.925 million, Prime Minister's Inspection Commission and Rs 4.432 billion for Atomic Energy.
Similarly, the House also approved demands for grants and appropriations for the financial year ending on June 30, 2011 worth Rs 3.278 billion for Communication Division, Rs 2.281 billion other expenditure of Communications Division, Rs 963.568 million Defence Division, Rs 2.522 billion Airports Security Force, Rs 578.825 million Metrology, Rs 648.54 million Survey of Pakistan, Rs 2.14 billion Federal Government Educational Institution in Cantonments and Garrisons, Rs 0.579 million Capital Outlay on Land Reforms, Rs 45.692 million development expenditure of Cabinet Division, Rs 50 billion other development expenditure of Cabinet Division outside PSDP, Rs 8.3 million Development expenditure of Establishment Division, Rs 677.351 million development expenditure of Capital Administration and Development Division, Rs 171.99 million development expenditure of Communications Division, Rs 3.815 billion development expenditure of Defence Division Rs 30.304 million development expenditure of Federal Government Educational Institutions in Cantonments and Garrisons and Rs 22.35 billion Capital Outlay on Development of Atomic Energy.
While taking part in the debate on cut motions, the opposition strongly opposed the demands for grants of Defence Division, Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Communication for what it said their failure to deliver. Sardar Mehtab Ahmed of PML-N said entire nation was shocked over failure of armed forces during the recent years and there was growing demand by the nation for making details of defence spending public. People wanted to know as to how the taxpayers' money was being spent by the defence institutions, particularly after the recent incidents of Abbottabad, Mehran Base and attack on GHQ.
He said Abbottabad, Mehran Base and GHQ incidents have exposed the capacity of forces to cope with the challenges. He vehemently criticised Pervez Musharraf's security policies of post-9/11, which according to him made western borders insecure and consequently led to deployment of 100,000 troops to make it secure.
Mehtab said Musharraf's decision to launch military operation in Balochistan had worsened law and order situation in the province and no one was feeling secure in the country today because of his policies. Coming hard on top brass of armed forces, former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa said it was simply unfair, in a poverty ridden country, that each army general on retirement takes home between Rs 250 to Rs 500 million in the form of property and other assets. He said people don't have access to basic facilities. He demanded that army high-ups in Pakistan should be given the same benefit as that of their counterparts in India.
Mehtab Abbasi called for scrapping the plan for proposed construction of GHQ in Islamabad. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal called for transparency in the defence budget and accountability of those high-ups of army who used the institution for the political gains. Ahsan Iqbal said GHQ land, which is about $5 billion worth in Islamabad, should be auctioned to set up human resource fund. He said it would be a great service to the nation.
Opposing demands for grants for the Ministry of Communication, Ahsan Iqbal said the performance of the ministry was very disappointing. The National Highway Authority (NHA), one of the major subsidiaries of the Ministry of Communication has failed to provide modern communication facilities to people and was smeared with the corruption charges. Corruption cases of billions of rupees have surfaced in the NHA, which also figured in the latest audit report 2010-11. Ahsan Iqbal said the NHA has also failed to complete the projects to connect Balochistan with rest of the country.
Defence minister and state minister for economic affairs division defended demands for grants of their respective ministries and stated that increase in the allocation was largely on account of increase in salaries. Hina Rabbani Khar said increase in allocation in the head of other expenditure of Cabinet Division was primarily because some of the responsibilities of devolved ministries to the province after the approval of 18th Constitutional Amendment would be taken care of by the Cabinet Division.