Official indifference, weak mechanism: Education and health allocations unlikely to be utilised

Approved fiscal budgets for education and health sectors of around Rs 8 billion are unlikely to be utilised, owing to the official indifference and weak regulatory mechanism.
Sources in the Planning and Development (P&D) Department told Business Recorder on Saturday that Sindh Provincial Assembly had approved Rs 4.7 billion and Rs 3.2 billion for education and health sectors, which amounts are approximately 100 percent higher than in the past.
"Although the increase in the budget amounts for both sectors is laudable, its utilisation is dubious due to the weak funds regulatory mechanism," they said. Instead of strengthening the monitoring mechanism and recruiting more professionals in P&D Department before allocating funds, private sector has been involved in this regard, which has created brighter chances for the black sheep to embezzle funds, they opined. They said, "No professional has been recruited for over ten years. Hence, the department has failed to establish separate monitoring committee for all development works across the province, encouraging malcontents to embezzle funds".
They said: "Sindh can not be developed unless the concerned officials would take bold steps to eradicate political favour in recruitment process and fairly induct fresh blood in this regard."
Highlighting another hurdle in its successful utilisation, they said that P&D Department was not transferring the funds to the concerned departments and intends to supervise all development projects with inadequate professionals, raising disenchantment among all stakeholders. Sources said that all concerned departments were of the view that the P&D Department is planning to utilise all development funds itself. Hence it is not taking interest in this connection, creating excessive burden on P&D officials.
They said that ownership of funds should be transferred to concerned departments because P&D is a policy making agency. They added that it would also encourage the stakeholders to take part in the development of the province, besides minimising pressure on P& Department D officials.