In fresh directives, the Planning Commission has asked all the ministries to appoint separate project directors (PDs) for executing development projects under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
"All the federal ministries have been directed to appoint separate project directors for the projects operating or running by the ministry before the start of next year," sources told Business Recorder on Friday.
The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) had earlier directed the ministries to appoint separate PDs in 2004, but the ministries did not implemented the decision.
Now the Commission has again directed the ministries to recruit new PDs before the end of December. It also laid down criteria for appointing new PDs, to be appointed by three-member committee, headed by secretary of concerned ministries and assisted by two members one each from Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission, they added.
The officials, who were appointed as PDs, were given incentives of Rs 6,000 per month for looking after the projects, but the Commission was of the view that the PDs from the ministry were not paying full attention, which was main reason for non-utilisation of the funds timely allocated under the PSDP, sources said. The PDs also enjoyed other perks and privileges as being posted in Islamabad. They travelled to the development sites or using vehicles purchased for the projects, said an official seeking anonymity.
It also directed the ministries to establish separate offices for the PDs within ministry premises for monitoring and evaluation of the projects, they said.