ISLAMABAD: The discretionary and controversial programme of Rs24 billion for parliamentarians under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has faced another blow as now the AGPR raised objections that there was no mention of this allocated amount in the published Pink Book of Ministry of Finance.However, official sources in both Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission confirmed to The News on Monday the desire of treasury benches to convert Rs24 billion funds into non-lapsable could not be done only on mere wishes but it requires changes in financial rules otherwise these funds would be lapsed after expiry of June 30, 2019 deadline.Top bureaucrats who are dealing with this SDGs programme of Rs24 billion told The News in background discussions that it seemed that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not too much enthusiastic about this programme but on other hand there was increasing pressure from the treasury benches that this programme must be operationalised as early as possible.This scribe sent out two messages to Chairman Steering Committee for SDGs programme and close aide of PM Naeemul Haq to inquire why the AGPR raised objections over Rs24 billion SDGs programme for Parliamentarians and what the government was doing to remove their objections almost seven days back on March 27 and then sent it again on March 29 and waited for response till Monday but got no reply.When contacted to one Planning Commission high-up, he said that they were going to take up this issue with AGPR for making efforts to remove their objections within the ongoing week. However, the sources in Cabinet Division said that only one meeting of Steering Committee of SDGs programme took place last month and they did not exactly know about any plan to hold upcoming meeting on this subject.One top official of the Finance Division when contacted told The News that the funds would be lapsed unless declared non lapsable. The Planning Commission high-ups said that these funds could not be declared non lapsable because the financial rules did not allow. “It cannot be done on wishes only,” commented one official when asked about the desires of the treasury benches.The PTI-led government had already taken decision that it would not provide funds to opposition members out of this SDGs programme. So far 80 parliamentarians belonging to ruling coalition had presented development schemes of their respective constituencies before the Steering Committee of the programme under chairmanship of PM’s aide Naeemul Haq.Earlier regarding objections raised by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning had certified through official communication that the revised allocated amount of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) as well as sectoral allocation for the current financial year would be fully protected.
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2WEmzvU
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