Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed officers of planning and development to include maximum number of people welfare oriented schemes in the annual budget of upcoming financial year 2014-15 to facilitate the public at their doorsteps. This he directed while presiding over a high-level preparatory meeting to discuss and deliberate the proposal for next fiscal year’s budget at CM House on Wednesday. The meeting was attended among others by Advisor to CM Sindh for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, ACS Planning and Development department Wasim Ahmed, Principal Secretary to CM Sindh Rai Sikandar, Provincial Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput and other officers of planning and development, Finance and other lined departments.
The meeting deliberated over development and non development expenditures, size of development budget allocation for provincial and district ADP, inclusion of major projects and their estimated cost and revived the utilization of the funds for various uplift projects and performance of different provincial departments outgoing fiscal year.
CM Sindh directed the concerned officers to ensure such schemes in next year’s annual budget which have overall positive compact on the society by incorporating agro-based, labour extensive and production based schemes in the budget. He added that Education, health, irrigation, water, energy and law and order has always remained top most prioritized sectors of the provincial government “ special forces and allocations will be made for the uplift of these major sectors in upcoming financial year as well” CM Sindh added. He said that PPP has always served the people of Sindh with the core of heart and resultantly people of Sindh have expressed full confidence on the PPP and that was reflected in the general elections of 2013 in which people of Sindh elected PPP government on basis of its last five years performance CM Sindh said that present provincial democratic government was trying its level best to come upto the expectations of the people of Sindh by utilizing all available resources for provision of best facilities and services to the people.
He said that in current financial year 2013-14 utilization of released funds for development projects as compared to previous years was much better; however he added that there was still room for improvement. He stressed upon the concerned officers to utilize all their capacities and professional expertise with sincerity to serve the people, which was their prime responsibility of public service. CM Sindh directed the ACS P&D to prepare a list of those schemes on which less than 20 % of the allocated funds had been utilized and submit him the report within a week to decide the future of those schemes. Advisor to CM Sindh finance Syed Murad Ali Shah suggested that instead of including low cost projects in provincial ADP these schemes be included in district ADP to facilate the people and to save energy and time of the people and officers of the development departments as well .He said that besides carrying out development works, provision of services like electricity, water supply, gas was also prime responsibility of the provincial government. He suggested that additional funds should be allocated for such services in the next years provincial annual development programme. Additional Chief Secretary P&D briefed the meeting though power point about the proposal of upcoming annual budget CM Sindh directed the concerned officers to finalize the proposal for next year’s budget within minimum possible time.
CM SINDH PRESIDES PREPARTARY MEETING OF ANUUAL BUDGET 2014-15
