PESHAWAR, July 1: Distribution of development funds under the current ADP has left the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s coalition government in the province in an awkward position as many of the treasury benches’ members feel that they have been ignored, sources say.

Even some of the cabinet members holding important portfolios were unhappy with the way development funds have been earmarked, said a government functionary.

One of the MMA’s MPAs, Kashif Azam, went on record against Finance Minister Sirajul Haq while taking part in a debate in the house over the issue.

Sources close to the MMA said the finance minister was irked by Chief Minister Akram Durrani’s decision to divert major chunk of funds to his home district of Bannu and some other southern districts.

“The provincial cabinet,” said a source “stands divided over the issue”.

Members of the treasury benches representing Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, said the sources, felt that the finance minister, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, had made greater allocations for the districts previously falling under the now-abandoned Malakand division, a stronghold of the JI.

On the other hand, the JI’s MPAs in their private gatherings and parliamentary party meetings criticize the chief minister, belonging to the JUI, for diverting major portion of development funds to Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.

A meeting between the MMA’s MPAs and officials of the planning and development department before the new ADP was announced on June 16 could not yield desired results after the proposals put forth by many members were ignored.

“The ruling alliance members submitted scores of recommendations for carrying out development schemes that involved an estimated Rs16 billion,” said a development planner of the province.

Except for a couple of projects, the source said, most of the proposed schemes were described as unviable by the development planners and thus ignored.