Opposition members in the NWFP Assembly on Tuesday asked the provincial government to furnish details of all the projects approved under the 'umbrella schemes' depriving the people of opposition's constituencies of their share in the development programme.
Opening debate on a question raised by Khalil Abass of ANP under Rule 48 of the Assembly Proceeding, senior parliamentarian Abdul Akbar Khan accused Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government of introducing a new modus operandi of shifting development funds to specific districts in the name of umbrella schemes.
He said in July 2004, the government had sent PC-1 for the construction of 331-km roads, being financed by the Japanese government to the ministry of local government. He said the MMA government had prepared its PC-1, cost estimates and sites selection for the project, but it had not sought opinions of any of the MPAs about it.
He asked the government to furnish the PC-1 of the project before the House. He said the government had also prepared the Phase-II of the PC-1 for the construction of 700-km roads in the province.
Minister for law and parliamentary affairs said the government had sent PC-1 of 331-km to the federal government in July 2004. He said the Ecnec would approve it and then Islamabad would release Japanese aid for it.
He said the Ecnec had yet not okayed the project and it would cost Rs 3 billion. Under this project, he said, 331-Km roads would be constructed in Bannu, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Chitral, Hangu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Charsadda, Haripur, Nowshera, Swat, Dir and Peshawar.
Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Asif Iqbal Daudzai, Sikandar Sherpao, Pir Mohammad Khan, Hafiz Hashmat Khan and Amanullah Haqqani spoke on the issue and demanded of the government to provide the details of the PC-1 to the House.
The minister, however, failed to satisfy the opposition MPAs, who staged walkout in protest.
Earlier, the government felt embarrassment during a discussion on a question asked by Israrllah Khan Gandapur of the PPP (Sherpao). He submitted his question in 2003, while local government department provided him a fabricated answer on November 7, 2006.
Gandapur said minister for local government had provided him answer of only one part of his question. He asked the government to prepare a code of ethics for the ministers. Minister for local government Sardar Idrees made a lengthy speech but he failed to satisfy the mover and other opposition MPAs and the matter evaporated in the noise.
Abdul Akbar Khan also initiated discussion on a question asked by Jamshed Khan of PPP (Sherpao) about the provision of bulldozer to the needy farmers in Buner. He said the government had Abolished the agriculture engineering cell, which would provide bulldozers on hourly basis to farmers, but now the officials of agriculture had increased the rates of (bulldozer) hours.
Gandapur said the agriculture department charged double and triple amount from the farmers.
Minister for science and technology Hussain Ahmed Kanju assured the House that farmers would be treated fairly in future. Earlier, the House admitted identical adjournment motions tabled by Pir Mohammad Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Nighat Orakzai, Zobaida Khatoon, Naeema Akhtar and Jamshed Khan regarding the celebration of three Eids in the province for discussion during the current session.
The opposition MPAs alleged that the MMA had divided the Ummah on a small issue, adding that MMA leader Fazal-ur-Rehman had celebrated Eid on Tuesday, while Qazi Hussain Ahmed celebrated the Eid on Wednesday.
The House again expressed their displeasure over the lethargic role of the Planning and Development department for not providing written answers to the assembly secretariat on Tuesday.
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