CHAKWAL, Oct 25: It seems that funds from a financial aid programme, launched by an international organisation, might have gone in the wrong hands.    

Punjab Government with the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched ‘Dera Project’ for the financial year of 2011-12, under which Rs40,000 would have been given for a water pump and Rs5,000 for seed and fertilisers.

Farmers with eight acres of land would have been eligible for this fund.

More than 2,400 farmers applied for this financial relief but all the money was given to those 355 well-to-do farmers whose applications were sent through parliamentarians belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

EDO Agriculture, Liaquat Ali Sulehri was given the task to select farmers on merit for this relief. But all indications are that merit was ignored. Even though he formed a committee for the selection process, the end result can hardly be called meritorious.

The committee selected MPA Malik Zahoor Anwar Awan, his son Ahmed Jamil Alam and other close relatives and cronies.

Among the beneficiaries, the uncle and three close relatives of MNA Ayaz Amir are also included in the list. The list was prepared on May 3, 2011.

Many union councils and villages were left untouched while an overwhelming number of farmers who got money are those who are rich and hold sway in their villages.

Sources told Dawn that most rich farmers, who got money for purchasing pumps did not buy them.

When contacted MPA Malik Zahoor Anwar said: “I do not want to talk on this topic”. However, MNA Ayaz Amir said that he had nothing to do with this matter.

When asked that his uncle and close relatives were among those who got money, he said: “They are farmers and they deserve it”.

An official in the agriculture department on the request of anonymity confirmed that money was given on political pressure and most beneficiaries were those who did not deserve it.

When Dawn contacted EDO Agriculture, Liaquat Ali Sulehri, he said: “I do not want to comment on the issue”.

When the attention of District Coordination Officer, Ahmad Aziz Tarar (who gave the final approval) was drawn to the matter, he said that he would look into the matter. “If there are any discrepancies, they would be removed”, he maintained.