Sindh Assembly members discussing provincial budget 2004-5 said that priorities for the allocation of funds in different heads were seemingly misleading and difficult to rationalise and justify.
They were taking part in budget debate after the question hour was over. The assembly proceeding scheduled to begin at 9 am commenced nearly two hours late. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah was in the chair, whereas for a while MPA Rajveer Singh, member of the panel of chairmen, also presided over the session. The session was adjourned for one hour forty-five minutes for Zohr prayers at 12:45 pm to meet again at 2:30 pm.
Dr Sikander Mehendro of PPPP said the budget had not brought relief for the majority of the people as it had been drafted without keeping them in mind.
He said that representatives of the people belonging to opposition as well as treasury were ignored at every stage adding that this had rendered the budget spiritless.
PPPP MPA said that in the absence of explanations and detailed footnotes the budget is just a statistics game.
Naseer Khan Khoso of the treasury benches said that the budget did not reflect aspirations and needs of the people.
He elaborated that allocation for water shortage, agriculture implements and other tilling equipment, irrigation facilitation and other similar facilities were not appropriate and there were imbalances.
Khoso said that all allocation should be need-based and properly rationalised and added that law and order had been allocated a "huge amount" but that is not enough without bringing in changes in the entire law enforcement set-up.
He said that the situation was becoming worse with the passage of each day. "It has become difficult to go out after the sunset. You do not know who is after you."
Khoso said that he was ashamed of this assembly which has a "graduate label attached to it." He asked if this looks like a graduate assembly?
Rafique Engineer of the PPPP said the Budget had shown deficit of Rs 23 billion. In such circumstances how the province would manage its affairs?
He said under the article 161 of the Constitution, National Finance Commission should have announced its recommendations and added, "Without the NFC the budget had no legal standing."
Rafique said the Sindh government could not put its case in the NFC and remained silent on the dictations of the federal government.
Had the government have presented Sindh case in an appropriate and convincing manner the situation would have been much different, Engineer opined. He spoke about the poverty stricken lot saying the budget was only for the rich.
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