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| December 15, 2006 | Friday | Ziqa'ad 23, 1427 |
‘Sindh to claim Rs3.5 billion from centre’
KARACHI, Dec 14: The Sindh government has claimed that it has Rs3.5 billion outstanding against federal government’s institutions, including the Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Authority, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, and its share of expenditure on the Pakistan Rangers and the Frontier Constabulary.
The dues are in addition to Sindh’s share in Rs50 million announced by the president on June 4, 2001, for mines and mineral development departments. The issue of the dues will be taken up in the inter-provincial coordination committee meeting to be held in Lahore on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Sindh Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Sohrab Sarki said it was for the first time that four items sent by his department had been included in the agenda of the meeting.
He said though the Sindh government, which had 25 per cent share in the Lakhra power plant, had given permission for its privatisation and the Privatisation Commission had referred the matter to Wapda, no progress had been made on re-signing the lease contract for coal excavation from the leased-out mines, and it remained a property of the Sindh government.
Another item included in the agenda pertains to the sharing of 50 per cent expenditures on law and order as announced by then prime minister in March 1995.
He said that Rs1,517.47 million – 50 per cent of the total expenditure incurred by the Sindh government from 2001 to 2005 – was outstanding against the federal government. He said the federal ministry of finance had been approached for reimbursement, but no response had been received.
Dr Sarki said that out of the total amount, Rs203.967 million was outstanding against defence institutions, Rs52.464 million against the Pakistan Railways and Rs01.524 million against relief institutions.
Likewise, he said Rs1,773.339 million of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board was outstanding against federal institutions – Rs1,551.539 million against defence, Rs198.982 million against works, Rs2.564 million against the finance department, Rs4.320 million against the CBR, Rs14.700 million against the science and technology department and Rs1.234 million against the communication department.
The minister said another item included in the agenda pertains to the Scarp project. The federal government on behalf of Sindh had made direct payment to Wapda for the project, and Wapda had not provided details of expenditures.
The expenditures were described as cash development loans and 12 to 18 per cent interest was charged on it.Dr Sarki said the fourth item was the share of the Sindh government in Rs50 million mines and mineral development fund announced by the president.
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