IF the Punjab government is struggling with governance issues, it appears the KP administration is not far behind.

Read: Over half of KP uplift funds released in three months unutilised

A recent report in this newspaper says the government departments have utilised only 0.4pc of the Rs83bn development outlay for the merged districts in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

After the latest review of the development portfolio, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan conveyed his displeasure to the 13 departments responsible for this poor show.

The breakdown of the funds spent on development projects, and more importantly, funds not spent at all, paints a dismal picture of the performance of yet another provincial government headed by the PTI.

When it comes to making speeches and commitments about mainstreaming these districts, politicians have been falling over each other to solemnly pledge revolutionary changes. The reality, however, tells another story.

The hefty sum of Rs83bn is a good start because the region has long been neglected and is in dire need of uplift.

After the money is allocated comes the real challenge of skill, capacity and commitment: how to spend it effectively, efficiently and transparently. It is here that the provincial government of the PTI has been falling short repeatedly.

The unfinished BRT project is just one, albeit the most visible and expensive, illustration of the poor governance skills that PTI leaders have displayed in KP.

This mismanagement and poor performance comes at a steep cost for both citizens and the state. The uplift of the merged districts should have been accorded the highest priority by the top leadership of the province.

However, the situation as illustrated by the overwhelmingly unspent amount of the allocated budget puts this steep cost in even sharper focus.

After all, it is not because of any shortage of funds that the provincial government has been unable to address the districts’ need for functioning schools, colleges, hospitals, roads, clean drinking water and many other essential services. What is sadly missing are the will, capacity and the correct list of priorities to get this work done for the people.

In the final analysis, this lack of performance shows the entire government in a bad light. This should be of concern to Prime Minister Imran Khan because these districts have been politically integrated after a long and arduous process. They, in fact, present a challenge to the centre as well as to the province: fulfil all the promises made and bring the fruits of development into the region or risk losing credibility and face. There is much riding on the project to mainstream the tribal districts, and it would be a shame if the PTI leadership fell short of the task at hand.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2019