Relief and rehabilitation of flood victims: provincial departments resisting decision to cut ADP by 50 percent

The Sindh government is facing resistance from its departments over the decision to cut Annual Development Programme 2010-11 by 50 percent following the unprecedented floods, Business Recorder learnt on Thursday. According to sources, all Sindh government departments are reluctant to oblige the said decision, which would not only create problems for them but also put several ongoing projects in uncertain state.
They further said these departments have registered grumbles to the relevant authorities. They were of the view that the provincial authorities could easily manage this serious fiscal crunch, following the unprecedented monsoon and floods, by diverting the funds of block allocations and several irrelevant new schemes falling in transport, education, agriculture and work and services departments.
Despite the fact that Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has assented to divert new schemes' allocations for flood affectees, the Planning and Development (P&D) department has proposed 50 percent cut on Sindh ADP 2010-11 for the said purpose, they said. They appraised that the technical committee of P&D department and Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) have not been stopped from approving new development schemes even those, which are infeasible and unsustainable. Furthermore, they said the Sindh government should have utilised the allocations of special packages and new initiatives for relief operations.
When contacted, official sources said the government of Sindh, which has declared 17 districts of the province as calamity-affected, has diverted most of the resources to provide emergency rescue and relief to hundreds and thousands of flood victims.
They further said that it would be impossible for the government to carry forward the existing ADP as the extensive damage to Agriculture, human settlements and physical infrastructure has been estimated to be around Rs 447 billion.
To a question, they dispelled the impression that the department has slashed 50 percent funds of all development schemes, saying that the funds of all slow moving and less important ongoing schemes and new approved schemes, on which work has not started, are being diverted for relief operations. Moreover, they said the schemes in the severely affected districts are also being examined to check whether these could be carried forward or required revision. Replying to a question, they informed that only those development schemes, which are high impact and likely to have larger socio economic benefits, are prioritised for current financial year.