Centre didn't disburse Rs 33 billion funds so far: Sindh chief minister tells PA

Chief Minister Sindh, Qaim Ali Shah, on Tuesday said the Federal Government has not disbursed Rs 33 billion funds so far, despite it had pledged to provide the provincial government with the financial assistance for carrying out relief activities during flood rehabilitation work during 2010 in the province.
The 14th sitting of 32nd session of the Sindh Assembly, which the low attendance marked, met for about three hours and 18 minutes with Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro in chair, who allowed the Chief Minister Sindh for his speech on government's relief work in floods. Speaking on the Assembly floor, he said the Federal Government had yet to fulfil its pledge to disburse Rs 33billion to the provincial government under the head of relief work. He said the provincial government had spent Rs 21billion and Rs 12billion, respectively, during 2010-11 and 2011-12 to carry out relief works in flood-hit areas of the province.
Informing the house, he said, the government had disbursed Rs 20,000 to each of some 0.7million catastrophe-hit families under the Watan Card scheme, which had financially negative impact on the Public Sector Development Programme in the province. Earlier, Sindh Rehabilitation Minister, Muzaffar Shajra, told the House about the government's move to formulate laws with a view to make the government's permission mandatory for Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) about carrying out social work in any calamity-hit part of the province. He observed that some such organisations were found working in areas of their own choice for carrying out such relief works and leaving the most-affected areas unattended.
Later the House adopted an amended resolution with a unanimous vote to pay tribute to late Syed Mardan Shah, Pir Pagaro, with calls from lawmakers asking the Sindh Assembly chair to declare the Hurs Act, passed by the same legislature during the colonial British rule in India, as a "black law".
"The Assembly offers its deepest condolences on the sad demise of Syed Mardan Shah known as Pir Pagaro, the Spiritual Leader of Hurs; and pays him rich tribute. He was the prominent, distinguished and matchless personality of Pakistan, He was the leading figure of Pakistani politics; his contribution/services for Pakistani politics are unforgettable. And the Assembly recommends that the Provincial Government may announce the 10th January as the Day of Pir Sahib Pagara and make it a public holiday," the amended resolution says, which Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of PML-F had tabled. It was observed that the parliamentary leaders of MQM, PML-F, NPP, ANP and PML (forward block) attended the Assembly proceedings, while leaders of the PPPP, and PML were absent. The speaker later adjourned the House till Wednesday morning, January 18.