Addressing a meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), attended by all the four chief ministers, services chiefs, and federal and provincial ministers, Prime Minister Gilani announced the formation of a watchdog group, christened the National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC). The Council is to comprise "people of impeccable character".
The provinces are to name the members, who could be nine to 13, and have to be from the private sector. According to Gilani, the appointments would be made within days. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had accused the NDMA of partiality last week. The provincial chapter of the authority had also sided with the provincial government. Punjab and Balochistan too have expressed dissatisfaction with the way the aid was being administered by the federal government.
It is also being maintained by many that the public is willing to contribute liberally for the relief of the flood victims, but wanted an authority manned by personalities of integrity. It transpires that there was opposition to the proposal jointly launched by Gilani and Nawaz Sharif on Saturday. Reportedly, three out of four provincial chief ministers did not agree with it.
This happened despite Gilani having reportedly been assured on Saturday, by both Asfandyar Wali and the MQM leaders that they agreed with the proposal. It seems that the leadership of the two parties subsequently changed their minds.
The organisation Gilani and Nawaz had agreed upon was conceptually different from the one announced on Thursday. The former was to fulfil two functions. First, the organisation was to raise funds for the rehabilitation of flood victims. Second, it was to monitor the damage assessment process for a judicious distribution of resources to the provinces.
Media reports and talk shows had highlighted the fact that unlike the 2005 tumbler, this time public enthusiasm to support the victims was inadequate. This was reflected in the reluctance on the part of many people to contribute funds for the relief of the flood victims. It is maintained that people, in general, have doubts about the honesty of the government and are therefore unwilling to hand over money to any government agency.
Further, with an authority manned by impartial and prestigious figures, well-to-do people would contribute billions of rupees. The Commission announced by Gilani, on Thursday, is not supposed to collect public donations.
While the original proposal might be considered ideal by some, it could not have been implemented without taking the stakeholders into confidence. It is generally maintained that any decision impacting the provinces has to be implemented only with their consent, which is not available in the case of the original proposal. One also wonders if the consent of the persons proposed by the PML-N had been taken before making the proposal public.
The funds are to be utilised by the government departments administering relief. It is widely known that corruption is pervasive in most of these departments. In the rural areas, patwaris or tapedars, widely accused of corruption, would be involved in the delimitation of agricultural holdings after these have been retrieved from the floods.
They would also make assessments of crop losses. In the cities, government officials would award contracts and sanction purchase of goods and material needed for reconstruction. To keep them under watch, the "impartial and non-controversial" commission would have to recruit a large staff and ensure that the newcomers do not get involved in corruption. One wonders if those whose names were mentioned would put their reputation at stake by agreeing to be on the commission under the circumstances.
The PML-N has now announced the formation of a Co-ordination Committee for Flood Relief, comprising two members from each province, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK to evolve a mechanism to manage and distribute relief goods and ensure co-ordinated efforts for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people. It remains to be seen how a party in control of one province alone can implement a decision in the three other provinces.
It is interesting to note that the commission being proposed by the PML-N would not be involved in asking for funds or receiving them. While the original proposal had good optics, despite being impracticable, the one announced by Gilani now remains to be tested. On Thursday, talking to the media, Zardari had complained that 'some undemocratic forces' were maligning the government with their false propaganda about the possibilities of corruption in the utilisation of funds.
He had contradicted the allegations calling them "baseless as always" and aimed at weakening democracy. The same day, while in New York, Clinton was asked whether the funds given to Pakistan, would be utilised honestly, indicating that people abroad are also concerned over corruption in Pakistan. The government would be less under pressure if a commission manned by people with integrity was to be constituted to ensure transparency. What needs to be emphasised is that the NODMC should have full authority and not be seen as a toothless body.