April 9, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 10, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, April 8: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has expressed his serious concern over what was termed “poor performance of the social sectors” despite spending trillions of rupees during the last few years. Informed sources told Dawn on Saturday that the president has asked the prime minister to revive the Cabinet Committee on Social Sectors which remained dormant for the last many years. Mr Aziz is now expected to head the committee to achieve the desired results.

The committee is currently headed by Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zobaida Jalal. She was appointed the head of the committee by the president when she was minister for education.

“Despite allocating huge funds, we do not see real dent on poverty. The number of unemployed youth is increasing. There is no adequate health cover available nor there is any improvement in the education system that can help to have some improved literacy rate in the country”, a source close to the president said.

Sources said that the president wanted the committee on social sectors to focus on poverty, unemployment, basic education, health, nutrition, population welfare, water and sanitation, environment, women empowerment and housing for all.

The prime minister is expected to shortly convene the meeting of the committee to work out a strategy for dealing with important issues.

“There is no doubt that trillions of rupees were spent on social sectors during the last few years”, said a senior government official. When contacted he admitted that corruption was still rampant which was why there was no real impact of the huge funds that had been spent on social sectors over the years.

He said that like previous years, the government would once again be allocating in the next budget substantial resources for the uplift of the social sectors and improving the weakening country’s infrastructure specially related to roads, highways, ports & shipping and communications.

The official said that there was a dire need to effectively monitor funds allocated to the social sectors and that unless the concerned heads of the departments were held accountable, the corruption will not minimize and most of the resources will continue to go waste.

For poverty alleviation the government is considering a proposal to increase the wages and spread small scale enterprises as well as promoting human development at an accelerated pace.

A number of new measures are being deliberated by the Planning Commission to ensure better income distribution and improved employment generation system.

According to Planning Commission, poverty is fast becoming an urban phenomena and needs to be checked to avoid further pressure on the economy.