KP Assembly approves demands for grants of Rs9.23 bn

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday approved demands for grants of Rs9.23 billion as members from the opposition withdrew their cut motions after receiving assurances from the concerned ministers that their concerns would be redressed and suggestions accommodated.

Six demand for grants out of total 59, including Rs298,956,000 for the provincial assembly, Rs4,672,448,000 for the administration, Rs2,149,560,000 from finance, Rs601,309,000 from Planning and Development, Rs121,599,000 from Information Technology and Rs1,394,983,000 from Revenue and Estate departments were approved in the budget session presided over by Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani.

Most of the cut motions were moved by the opposition members. There was one cut motion by the ruling PTI lawmaker Taj Muhammad. The demand for grant from planning and development was approved through majority of votes as the opposition refused to withdraw the cut motions. The others were unanimously approved after withdrawal of the cut motions.

Earlier, speaking on the cut motions, most of the members raised question over the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and termed it a disaster for the province and its people. Questioning the performance of Planning and Development Department, opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani said not a single scheme was completed during the last five years.

He said the seriousness of the government could be judged from the fact that the commissioner Peshawar had been given additional charge of Planning and Development Department. He posed a question as to why millions of rupees were spent on the beautification, footpaths, construction of service roads and plantation on the Grand Trunk Road if the BRT project was under consideration.

He said responsibility should be fixed as to why a huge amount was spent on the schemes that were later uprooted for BRT. The project was delayed due to ill-planning and its cost had increased, he said, adding, the BRT had become a source of incontinence for the public and it was the classic example of failure of Planning and Development Department.

Akram Durrani, who is a former chief minister and was elected in recent elections from Bannu, said the cost of the BRT would further increase as in the second phase of road widening payment would be made to the land and building owners.

He feared the project would render thousands of taxi and rickshaw owners jobless. He suggested that half of the development funds of a scheme should be released at the beginning so that the contractor completed it in time.

Shagufta Malik of Awami National Party (ANP) criticised the finance minister who in his budget speech had termed the salaries of government employees a burden on the exchequer. She asked whether the past governments did not pay salaries to them.

She also criticised the BRT, saying it destroyed businesses and put people in mental stress. She said the cost of the project had risen to Rs81 billion and now there was talk of Rs10 billion subsidy.

Mehmood Khan Bhittani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said the Finance Department should clarify where the Rs32.4 million development funds meant for Tank district were utilised.

He also complained about discrimination in allocation of funds, saying selected districts were allocated uplift funds. Inayatullah Khan, the Jamaat-e-Islami/MMA lawmaker from Upper Dir, wanted to know what steps the government was taking for increasing the revenue. He said funds were being allocated without any planning.

Wanting details of funds allocation, he complained his two years old projects had been dropped from the ADP. He claied other projects in Dir were also dropped. Mian Nisar Gul, MMA lawmaker from Karak, said the provincial government should install meters on the oil and gas generation plants in Kohat division so that actual figure of oil and gas produced is known and royalty paid accordingly. He said the royalty should be released after every three months.

The JUI-F's Zafar Azam, also elected from Karak, sought details of foreign funding projects and their tenure.

Finance Minister Taimoor Salim Jhagra said the actual cost of BRT was Rs69 billion and no subsidy was under consideration. In the same breath, he said subsidy on public service schemes was given even in developed countries. He maintained that the BRT project on completion would create jobs and enhance business activities.

About the local government schemes of beautification and construction of footpaths and service roads as well as plantation, he said actually BRT route was planned along with the railway track but the PML-N-led federal government did not approve it. He and other ministers assured the opposition of taking them into confidence to accommodate their suggestions.

Minister for Revenue and Estate Shakil Ahmad assured computerisation of land record in the province. In reply to a question by Sobia Shahid of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he said summary about land computerisation in Malakand division has been sent to the chief minister. He said the process would be completed within a year though some people in the department were creating hurdles.