The government has released Rs 884 million for 491 development schemes under Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP-I), specifically for enhancing gas supply, and People's Works Program (PWP-I) during eight months (July-February) of ongoing financial year 2009-10.
According to documents available with Business Recorder, under PWP-I, the government released Rs 148.545 million for 58 schemes for the provinces of NWFP and Punjab--Rs 37.182 million to NWFP, and Rs 111.363 million to Punjab--for 24 and 34 development schemes respectively Only five schemes, two in NWFP and three in Punjab, have been completed while 53 schemes are under progress.
According to the documents, 110 km of gas pipeline was earmarked to be laid, including 28 km in NWFP and 82 km in Punjab. However, so far only 19.6 km has been laid--3.6 km in NWFP and 16 km in Punjab.
Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) is the executing agency of the projects.
The NWFP has additionally received 110.934 million under KPP-I and PWP-I for 82 development schemes. For this purpose, the NWFP government received 73.752 million under KPP-I for 58 schemes and Rs 37.182 million for 24 schemes. All schemes (58) under KPP-I have been completed, but only two out of 24 under PWP-I were completed, with 22 under process.
The documents show that in the schemes for NWFP, the length of gas pipeline earmarked was 129 km, including 28 km under PWP-I and 101 km under KPP-I, out of which 3.6 km and 101 km were laid respectively.
The parliamentarians had identified these development schemes for their respective constituencies under Prime Minister's directives. In this regard, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also recently announced Rs 20 million for each parliamentarian.
These programmes are for poverty alleviation, with a short gestation period, designed for socio-economic uplift in their areas of execution and to provide jobs to the local populace.
Smaller projects, below Rs 10 million, are to be financed by the provinces through KPP whereas larger projects above Rs 10 million, are to be financed by Planning & Development Division and Finance Ministry.
In this regard, many parliamentarians had expressed concern on the floor of the House that the development funds of senators and women on special seats are being used on war against terror in NWFP and tribal areas.