Karachi Transformation Plan: Umar slams blame game, calls for starting work

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar emphasized the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Sindh government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) federal government, to start work on ground on the development projects in Karachi under the agreement instead of securing political points, otherwise, the people would hurl shoes at both the parties.

"The people of Karachi are waiting for the start of development work. The people of Karachi will hurl shoes at both PPP and PTI, if they continue press conferences against each other instead of initiating practical work," the minister expressed these views, while talking to media after a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives on Wednesday.

Answering a question about PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's press conference, the minister said that the Sindh government should start construction work immediately, if it claimed to contribute Rs750 billion in the Rs1,100 billion for Karachi Transformation Plan, the federal government was not much concerned.

He said that the federal government takes the responsibility of the Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (K-IV).

He said that we would also start work on the development project under private partnership investment.

"Federal government has started work and for this purpose I called a meeting immediately after the agreement in which a week-long deadline was set to start implementing the plan."

The minister said that he also wrote a letter to the chief minister Sindh for handing over the Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (K-IV) project to the federal government as per desire of the Sindh government.

He said that the central government had already initiated process for implementation of the KTP.

Answering another question, the minister said that the K-IV, Karachi Circular Railways (KCR), Green line and S-3 were old projects but ground work on those projects never started.

Former Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal said, while talking to media after Committee meeting that the PTI government was going to start work on Diamer-Bhasha Dam without financial closing.

He said that if we take total cost of this project is Rs238 billion then we have to allocate Rs28 billion in budget per year but the PTI government has budgeted allocation of Rs12 billion in this financial year.

"If we launch Diamer-Bhasha Dam project without any arrangement of funds then it would become a white elephant such as Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project had become in the past," he said.

Answering a question, Ahsan Iqbal said how the federal government had Rs1,100 billion for development projects for Karachi, even when it had no funds for the ongoing projects. He said that it was the responsibility of the federal government to sit with all the stakeholders and develop consensus for start of work on development projects in Karachi.

Earlier, Ahsan Iqbal said in the meeting of standing committee that the PML-N government in 2018 had released all funds for 160 development projects, which were scheduled to complete in 2019 but 50 projects were not completed so far.

The Committee met with MNA Junaid Akbar in the chair at the Parliament House on Wednesday.

The Committee took up "The Public-Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Govt. Bill)".

The CEO from the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives briefed the Committee about the aforesaid bill in detail.

The Committee unanimously decided to defer the bill till its next meeting.

Thereafter, the Committee took up, "The General Statistics (reorganization) (Amendment) Bill 2019" moved by Amjad Ali Khan, MNA and discussed it in detail in the presence of the mover.

The Committee could not reach at any decision, and decided to defer the bill till its next meeting.

Then, the representative from the ministry replied to all the questions asked in the given agenda, one by one.

The Committee directed that at the time of preparation of the PSDP budget the neglected areas must be considered on priority.

The Committee recommended to enhance 10 percent budget of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), so that, it could fulfill its requirements/projects in the current financial year.

The Committee directed the ministry to review and revise the pay scale of MP-I, so that; the intellectual and efficient people be attracted towards these job.

The Committee enquired that the projects, the 100 percent funds of which had been released in 2018-2019, could not be completed so far.

The representative from the HEC briefed the Committee about the agenda (PSDP No. 329, 2020-2021).

The Committee directed the HEC to visit the University of Malakand to look into their problems and submit a detailed report within a week to the Committee in that regard.

The Committee decided to hold its next meeting on the problems of the Earthquake affectees in Abbottabad.

Therefore, under rule 227 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, the Committee decided to invite all the members of the National Assembly from the Abbottabad District as special invitees for getting their expert opinions in this regard.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020