PESHAWAR: Despite the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May 2018, the tribal districts haven’t received its three years share in development funds, which go to the districts through the Provincial Finance Commission.

Responding to a question in the provincial assembly on Tuesday, finance minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra defended the government’s stand regarding the denial of funds to the tribal districts for development activities through local bodies.

“Why the funds will be released when there is no local government system in the merged districts,” he said, adding that the release of funds in the absence of the LG system is very difficult.

The minister said after the local body elections were held, the merged districts, too, would get the due funds.

In PA sitting, minister insists money was not released due to absence of LG system

He said it was to the ruling PTI’s credit that local body polls had taken place in the province and a system of governance was in place at the district level.

Mr Jhagra said Fata’s merger with the province was a bold decision of the PTI government.

MPA of the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Naeema Kishwar, who raised a question about the denial of funds to the tribal districts, said the provincial government had held only two PFC meetings during the last two years though under the Local Government Act, 2013, the commission was required to meet four times.

She complained that the erstwhile Fata had neither been given representation in the PFC nor had it received its due share in development schemes under the LG law.

The lawmaker also regretted that the women had no representation in the commission.

The provincial government had also denied Rs43 billion funds meant for the development activities of local bodies in the previous financial year, which was a violation of the KP Local Government Act, 2013.

In the financial year 2019-20, the share of local bodies in development funds was Rs46 billion fixed by the PFC in view of the local government law. However, the provincial government released Rs3 billion only.

Section 53 of the KPLGA states: “In addition to the establishment charges budgeted for the devolved functions and transfers in lieu of Octroi and Zilla taxes, the development grant for local governments shall be so determined that it is not less than thirty percent of the total development budget of the province in the respective year.”

Winding up debate on an adjournment motion, Mr Jhagra said he was not in favour of giving executive allowance to employees of attached departments and directorates.

He said if the government kept giving that kind of allowances to its all employees, it would be left with no money for development projects.

Opposition Leader Akram Khan Durrani had moved the motion.

He said currently, the province’s pension bill had gone up to Rs100 billion a year. “In 2019, it was agreed that executive allowance would only be given on the basis of performance, which was also approved by the cabinet,” he said.

Mr Jhagra, however, said there had been no progress on the issue since then.

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government (2002-07) in its tenure had decided to covert the pension system into contributory one that was sustainable and that the current government would revisit that decision.

The minister said the government decision to allow executive allowance for officers working on scheduled posts spurred many other seats to be declared as scheduled one so as to claim the allowance.

He said the government had in this budget announced 25 per cent increase on basic pay scale, which was later upward revised to 37 per cent.

“We have never promised giving executive allowance to every officer,” he said urging the opposition not to use the house’s floor for propping up such agendas.

Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan, who was in the chair, adjourned the sitting until Friday due to a lack of quorum.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2021