PESHAWAR, June 25: The NWFP Assembly on Wednesday approved six demands for grants of Rs5392 million to defray the expenditures to be made by law, health, works and services, roads and buildings, public health engineering and local government and rural development departments till June 30, 2009.

Speaker Karamatullah Khan Chagharmati, who was presiding over the session, deferred a demand for grant of Rs1903.889 billon tabled by Minister for Higher Education Qazi Mohammad Asad Khan to be discussed in detail on Thursday. Despite explanations made by Qazi Asad that it was a collective responsibility of the cabinet to inform the House on any matter related to the government, the speaker said he could not withdraw his ruling on a matter related to the elementary and secondary education.The House, which was to meet at 9.00am, resumed its business as usual at 11.00am, two hours late. Some of the lawmakers, who spoke less on the real issues, spent two lengthy hours on two demands for grants. But, the speaker could get only one demand approved from the House. The second one, he himself deferred for Thursday, would be discussed in the presence of minister of primary education.

Speaking on the demand tabled by health minister, MPAs complained that there was great mismanagement and misuse of funds in the department. They proposed provision of basic facilities at district headquarters hospitals. MPA Maulavi Obaidullah from Kohistan surprised the House, when he said that there was no government hospital in his district.

Abdul Akbar Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party drew the attention of the chair towards the paucity of time and heavy agenda before the House. He suggested that a two minutes time should be fixed for each member, who had submitted cuts into the grants. The chair agreed with proposal but most of the MPAs, who were lashing out at the previous rulers, wasted the time.

Speaking on a demand made by the minister of law and parliamentary affairs for a grant of Rs616 million, Javed Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said the speedy and inexpensive justice was the prime issue of the country. He said the people had lost their confidence in the existing justice system. He said there were no arrangements for sitting on the premises of lower courts for litigators. “When a chief justice is being denied justice, who else will get it,” he added.

Minister for Law Arshad Abdullah assured the MPAs that his department would take up the issue of basic facilities like waiting rooms and public toilets with the respective courts.

Opposing the demand placed by the education minister, Abdul Akbar Khan said that the education department had got allocated a huge amount of Rs1800 million last year but it could spend only Rs1530 million by the closing of fiscal year.

He said if it could not spend the remaining Rs270 million, why it had got earmarked the amount. He said the amount could have been utilised for any other purpose.