LAHORE: The recent announcement of an unprecedented development package by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for his native district has raised eyebrows in the political as well as bureaucratic circles.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had been criticising the former ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for concentrating most of the development funds in one district, Lahore.

In the first visit to Dera Ghazi Khan after taking oath as chief minister, Mr Buzdar announced uplift schemes worth around Rs50 billion during his three-day (Nov 16-18) stay there. Officials say it’s the largest package for any single district in the province given by any chief minister.

Dera Ghazi Khan district has a population of 2.8 million people.

The chief minister also issued directions to the chief secretary and all relevant provincial secretaries for the completion of the 95 projects included in the package. Of these, seven schemes are part of the Annual Development Programme 2018-19, while supplementary budget will be released for the others.

Forty-five of the uplift schemes are for DGK tehsil and 50 for Taunsa Sharif tehsil, of which 20 for Barhti Qasba, the native village of Mr Buzdar.

The schemes are related to communication & works, transport, local government & community development, school education, higher education, housing & urban development, livestock & dairy development, irrigation, home, industry, information, and agriculture departments.

A senior official says the chief secretary and departmental secretaries concerned have been directed to prepare feasibility reports, estimated costs and PC-I of the projects and forward them to the CM secretariat so that release of funds for them is ensured.

He says seven projects are part of the ADP approval for which has been taken from the competent forum, while for rest of the schemes the chief minister will use his discretionary powers for providing funds through the supplementary budget.

Allocations for some of the major projects are: Rs3.50bn for Basti Buzdar-Taunsa bypass, Rs3bn for DGK-Muzaffargarh Road, Rs2.50bn for Ghazi University campus, Rs620mn for upgrading DHQ hospital, Rs350mn for setting up vocational centre, Rs200mn for DGK College furniture, Rs50mn for laying Astroturf at hockey stadium, etc.

Total ADP for the ongoing financial year is Rs238 billion.

Meanwhile, the chief minister has also sought Rs50 million as discretionary funds to provide financial aid and healthcare to the 700 people who submitted their applications with Mr Buzdar during the visit.

PML-N leader Azma Bukhari chides the PTI government for taking another U-turn on the promise of not focusing on influential leaders’ constituencies in development schemes and doing away with discretionary funds of rulers.

She laments that CM Buzdar at the cost of other south Punjab districts sought to develop his own area by giving the hefty package to DGK against the apparent party policy.

She says Mr Buzdar has sought millions of rupees in the name of financial help for the poor.

She claims that the PTI government has also sought development schemes worth Rs100 million from each MPA while during its days on opposition benches the party had been speaking against the practice.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2018