With beginning of budget debate in the Sindh Assembly on Thursday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) clamoured over ignoring of Karachi in the development budgetary allocations for the fiscal year 2012-13, demanding equal distribution of funds for all districts of Sindh.
The Sindh Assembly opened its general discussion on the budget for the fiscal year 2012-13, which the Speaker, Sindh Assembly Khuhro chaired. Eight lawmakers debated the budget and called it according to the public sentiments. Nisar Khuhro informed the house that last year 123 out of 168 lawmakers had participated in the budget debate and urged the legislators to express their views within a limited time so that all could have chances to speak, this year too.
Pakistan People's Party's (PPP) lawmaker, Anwar Khan Mehar called the fiscal budget of Rs 578 billion a huge "budget". He said the Sindh government provided 100, 000 jobs in the last four years. He thanked the government for proposing some 20,000 jobs in the budget for next fiscal year. He said the government has allocated a huge amount in the fiscal budget to strengthen the walls of the Left Bank Outfall Drain and other water courses, and canals with a view to protect the lands of province from floods devastations.
However, he stressed the exact spending of funds allocated for different development projects, saying allocations in budget for various sectors are fit to their sizes but they should be results-oriented. The government has focused on agriculture sector development in the budget, he observed. MQM's lawmaker, Syed Khalid Ahmed raised concerns over the sparing Karachi from development funds allocations in the budget, saying other districts of Sindh are set to receive uplift amount but not the metropolis.
Showing concerns over the low funds allocation for Karachi's mega water project K-IV, he said the government should earmark at least Rs 2 billion for the project's designing and consultations, and Rs 6 billion for its development. In the budget, the government has allocated Rs 1 billion, he said.
He lauded the Sindh government's efforts to fight with federal government for water allocation for the proposed K-IV, saying "we are thankful" to the irrigation minister for allotment of 500 cusecs of water for the project. He thanked the government for proposing a medical college and a burns centre in his electoral constituency in the fiscal budget. He invited the attention of the government towards the uplift projects under the Works and Services Department, saying the ongoing schemes should be first completed before proposing the new ones in the budget.
Khalid Ahmed called Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) a "mafia", saying that despite receiving Rs 5 billion of subsidy from the federal government, it has continued electricity loadshedding in Karachi between 12 to 14 hours a day. He wanted the government to treat KESC hard for its unjustified power cuts to consumers, and alleged the company "is scaling down its losses" through electricity loadshedding.
On law and order situation, he urged the government to harness the city government's command and control system with latest technology to overcome the rising killings and other streets crimes. Giving views on budget, PPP's lawmaker, Syed Munawar Ali Abbasi hoped the Rs 231 billion allocation in the budget would help the province attain development. He proposed forming of assembly committees for every district to monitor the huge development budgetary allocations aimed at carrying uplift schemes in different areas.
He urged the government to set up soil testing laboratories in the provinces besides providing quality fertilisers and seeds to farmers. He added that every provincial lawmaker of the assembly should be given Rs 100 million development fund instead of Rs 60 million.
He thanked the government for focusing on the development of Larkana district and announcing a special uplift scheme. He demanded of the government to take a keen interest on development of Gorakh Hill. PPP's lawmaker, Ghulam Mujadad Isran raised issue of irrigation water shortage in Kamber Shehzadkot. He said Kamber Shehzadkot has become a district for the last years but the hospital has not been given status of a district healthcare facility. He said the fiscal budget is "tax-free" in which education, health and peace-establishment have been given a priority.
MQM's Muhammad Adil Khan said funds in the budget for development have been increased for the next fiscal year which is a good sign. However, he raised a question that what mechanism will be followed to spending of funds allocated under the head of ADP for the next fiscal year.
He urged the government to evolve a plan for ADP spending. He, however, criticised the provincial bureaucracy for blocking the approved development projects. He alleged the bureaucracy is using funds of city government for elected members do not exist. Appreciating the government's move to give assistance to farmers in budget, he proposed similar subsidies to the buyers of agriculture products.
PPP's lady legislator, Kulsoom Chandio lauded the government for increasing women's employment quota from five percent to 25 percent. She said the Sindh government had presented an "excellent" budget despite floods hit the province for consecutive two years. A lady lawmaker of PPP, Shamim Ara Panwar and MQM's Muzzamil Qureshi also expressed their views on the budget. With session beginning, MQM staged a brief protest walkout against the killing of a trader in Shersha market and returned the house after three minutes. The house will meet on Friday morning.