UC-based poverty reduction program: half of earmarked funds to be spent on administration only

The Sindh government is all set to launch a union council-based poverty reduction project, worth Rs 2,947.526 million, of which about Rs 1,400 million would be spent on administration side only, Business Recorder learnt on Monday.
The two-year program, union council-based poverty reduction program through RSPs in Kashmore-Kandhkot and Shikarpur districts would be executed by Sindh Rural Support Organisation, sources in Finance Department said.
They said that the project, with the approval of Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, was included in the Annual Development Program (ADP-2008-09) with a provision that funding of Rs 500 million would be provided out of Sindh Social Relief Fund during current year, and in subsequent years adequate funding would continue to be provided, out the same source.
The purpose of the scheme is to improve the quality of life of communities living in rural areas that lack basic facilities by involving the Rural Support Programs, they said, and added that the allocation of half of the project cost on execution was raising questions about transparency.
The steering committee had made the Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Tevta chairman, Secretaries of finance, agriculture, livestock and fisheries departments, chief economist of Planning and Development, Haris Gazdar, and co-ordinator RSPs consortium as the members who will supervise the project.
People in the province are deprived even of Zakat fund and the governments initiative to give money to citizens of these two districts would prove only beneficial for the influential personalities of the areas, sources opined.
There are a total of 51 UCs in Shikarpur, out of which 40 fall under rural areas and 11 in urban, while there are 37 UCs in Kashmore-Kandhot, of which 70 are in rural area and only 7 in urban, and some 26,000 houses would be given away Rs 20,000 as income generating grants and Rs 15,000 as community investment fund in these districts, they added.
According to sources, Rs 112,645,161 has been allocated for the salaries and allowances of the staff of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) out of which Rs 192,750 would be paid to the team leader per month, senior social mobilizer (female) Rs 32,125, two M&E professional Rs 115,650 each per month, two HRD professional 64,250 each, Rs 64,250 each to two engineers, two income generating grant management officers, two CIF management officer and two productivity R&D officer, Rs 23,130 each to two senior social organiser and Rs 232,000 monthly travel cost.
However, a total of Rs 1,114,050 allocated as rental charges of buildings to be used for the execution of project, Rs 477,450 as local conveyance, Rs 1,114,050 as telephone/fax, Rs 318,300 as internet charges, Rs 6,875,280 as fuel of vehicles, Rs 159,150 as fuel for motorcycle, Rs 3,437,640 for insurance of vehicle and motorcycles, Rs 1,909,800 as repair and maintenance of vehicles, Rs 636,600 for tyres and batteries of vehicles, Rs 477,450 for generator fuel, Rs 206,895 for office supplies, Rs 477,450 for stationery and meetings, Rs 1,591,500 for electricity/ gas/water charges, Rs 318,300 for training and audio visual supplies, Rs 1,114,050 as audit charges and Rs 159,150 as bank charges.
The officials said Rs 13,200,000 has been allocated as an amount for poverty scorecard survey, Rs 367,500,000 for vocational training scholarships, Rs 750,000,000 for community investment fund, Rs 525,000,000 community physical infrastructure scheme, Rs 210,000,000 for low-cost village improvement scheme, Rs 35,000,000 for support to progressive farmers for doing pilots for increasing productivity, Rs 81,741,800 for village organisation capacity building costs and Rs 301,226,198 for social mobilisation of villagers.
Rs 95,643,870 has also been allocated for running 14 social mobilisation units. Sources said that Rs 3,400,000 had been earmarked for furniture, Rs 6,400,000 for two vans, Rs 6,000,000 for purchase of 4 single-cabin pickup vans 4x2, to be used for distribution, Rs 9,000,000 for 6 Suzuki Jimminy 4x4, Rs 50,000 for a motorcycle, Rs 350,000 for a photocopy machine, Rs 45,000 for scanner and colour printer, Rs 70,000 for fax machine and telephone exchange, Rs 300,000 for multimedia screen and overhead projector, Rs 140,000 for video and digital camera and Rs 1,190,000 for computers and accessories. However, the number of vehicles to be used for officials use has not been mentioned in the project plan, they said.