Irregularities unearthed in Sindh’s flood relief

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs came down hard on the Sindh government on Thursday, alleging that irregularities were being committed in house constructions in the flood affected areas, as well as the distribution of the solar panels in the province.

Committee chairman Senator Saifullah Abro expressed summoned Sindh chief secretary in the next meeting and sought details of the expenditure on the EU grant. Abro warned that if the details were not provided, the donor would be apprised of the irregularities through a letter.

The Planning Commission of Sindh assured the committee of presenting the details of the expenditure in the next meeting. The committee also sought details of the Colombo Plan projects – a regional intergovernmental initiative to promote economic and social development in Asia – in the next meeting. At the outset of the meeting, the chair expressed anger at Sindh and Balochistan for not providing details of expenditures of the projects under the EU grant. “If Sindh does not provide details, then we will write to the donors that irregularities are being committed, he added.

“Instead of building houses for flood-affected people, someone else’s houses are being built. In a union council of Larkana, only the (UC) chairman’s house is being built. The Sindh Planning Department should explain why this is happening,” he added.

Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz told the committee that the ministry had provided the details of 2022 to the committee. He said that Pakistan received $10 billion to deal with the 2022 floods. “The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank gave concessional loans at a low interest rate,” he said.

The secretary said that the World Bank has given $1 billion for the construction of houses for flood-affected people. “The international financial institutions have praised Pakistan’s role in dealing with climate change,” he said.