Planning Commission approves Rs 3.7 million project: secretary's relative's NGO to execute

The Planning Commission (PC), in defiance of its charter, has approved a Rs 3.7 million 'Poverty Alleviation through Empowerment of Women' project in Manghot village in Gujar Khan, to be executed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Fazal Memorial Welfare Society, which is reportedly being run by the PC Secretary's close relative, Business Recorder has learnt.
The Planning Commission's charter limits it to play a monitoring role. However, it is currently engaged in implementing 21 ongoing and 10 new development projects with a total allocation of Rs 9.3 billion in PSDP 2010-11. Several project directors are either former or serving Planning Commission officials.
Secretary, Planning, held a special meeting of Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) on September 23, 2010 to approve the 'Poverty Alleviation through Empowerment of Women' project. "Secretary, Planning, has included this project in the list of new projects to be implemented by the Planning Commission within the Public Sector Development Programme 2010-11," sources said. The project was approved at a time when the Planning Commission was compelled to stop all new development projects in an effort to divert funds to flood-hit areas.
Sources said that Secretary, Planning, Ashraf M Hyat, is due to retire in December 2010 and after retirement is expected to join the NGO run by his relative. The project falls in the domain of Women Development Division (WDD) but the Planning Commission approved the NGO to carry out the project, and ignored the concerns of WDD.