Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has decided to slash funds for development of electrification schemes to parliamentarians from Rs 0.5 million to Rs 0.1 million under the two-year special development programme titled "Wazeer-e-Azam Qaumi Taraqiati Program, 2016-18 for achievement of Global Sustainable Development Goals", well informed sources told Business Recorder.
The federal cabinet in its meeting scheduled for Tuesday (today) will also give its approval to allowing Steering Committee headed by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Aftab Sheikh to recommend utilization of savings from schemes under SDGs program, the sources added.
Giving details, the sources said, execution of a special development program titled "Prime Minister's Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement program" was approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on August 21, 2016 and September 30, 2016 for achievement of Global Sustainable Development Goals. Guidelines for implementation of the program were also approved by the Cabinet held on September 2016.
The Steering Committee of the Program in its meeting held on August 17, 2017 noted the bottlenecks in the minimum cost of electrification schemes and non-utilization of savings of completed schemes. Guidelines for implementation of program stipulate that a scheme costing a minimum amount of Rs 0.5 million and minimum amount of Rs 30 million would be entertained. The guidelines also stipulate that savings shall be surrendered immediately on completion of schemes without waiting for the financial year close. No new schemes shall be entertained against savings of the originally funded schemes. Decisions with regard to savings shall be taken by the Steering Committee.
Last year, the then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, launched a two-year special development programme titled Wazeer-e-Azam Qaumi Taraqiati Program, 2016-18 for achievement of Global Sustainable Development Goals. For this purpose a Steering Committee with the following composition was constituted for overall supervision of the program: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed (Chairman), Captain Muhammad Safdar(retired)(member), Senator Saud Majeed( member), Secretary Cabinet Division(member), representative/focal person of the Ministry of Finance (member), representative of Planning Division (member), and representative of the Controller General Accounts (member). One member could be co-opted.
The terms of reference (TORs) of the Steering Committee were as follows: (i) ensuring implementation of the program through PIU as per approved policy and GIS mapping; (ii) monitoring progress of the programme and review its impact assessment; (iii) resolving the issues during implementation process of the programme; (iv) ensuring speedy release of funds and resolve issues relating to financial aspects of the programme; (v) clearing schemes for execution; (vi) determining, in case of participating provinces, whether a given scheme is to be executed through EPC contracting by the PIU in Cabinet Division or through Divisional Implementation and Coordination Committee. In the latter case, the federal and provincial shares of the funds shall be transferred to the SDA of the Commissioner concerned and the DCIC shall have the scheme executed through appropriate federal, provincial or local executing agency. In case the Steering Committee decides to proceed with a project in an EPC mode, the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) shall be the client and undertake the contracting function; (vii) determining, in case of non-participating provinces, the appropriate executing agency and having the scheme executed there from after releasing funds direct to the executing agency; (viii) preparing and submitting cases of schemes costing more than Rs 30 million to the Prime Minister and in case of approval; and (ix) deciding on any other matter related to the programme.
The schemes were entertained for execution of Prime Minister's Sustainable Development Goals Program / Wazeer-e Aza Qaumi Taraqqiati Program 2016-18 subject to policy/guidelines at the time of identification in the following sectors:
POWER SECTOR: (i) electrification schemes and (ii) rehabilitation of electricity distribution infrastructure.
GAS & NATURAL RESOURCES: missing gas infrastructure subject to availability of gas, duly certified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources.
SOCIAL SECTOR:(i) construction of new schools, up-gradation or uplifting of existing schools, including provision of missing facilities and (ii) construction of new BHUs and RHCs, up gradation and uplifting of existing facilities, including provision of missing facilities.
MUNICIPAL SECTOR: (i) water supply schemes & filtration plants; (ii) urban sewerage, sanitation and rural drainage schemes; and (iii) communal facilities including but not limited to graveyards and public parks.
INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR:(i) construction and rehabilitation of farm to market roads and (ii) construction, repair or rehabilitation of roads (district or provincial).
In case of participating provinces, the funds would be provided on a matching grant basis in the ratio of 1:1 by the Federal and Provincial Governments. A Program Implementation Unit (PIU) would be set up in the Cabinet Division for the implementation of the program, under overall supervision of the Steering Committee.
The sources said that in order to overcome the bottlenecks, the Steering Committee has recommended the following amendments in the approved guidelines of the program: (i) minimum cost of electrification schemes shall be Rs 0.1 million instead of Rs 0.5 million; and (ii) Steering Committee be empowered to recommend utilization of savings out of schemes of SDGs program.
Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, as Minister in-Charge of Cabinet Division has seen and authorised submission of summary to the cabinet .