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Saturday, April 20, 2013
SC halts development schemes ordered by ex-PM Raja* Stops Accountant General Pakistan Revenues from releasing funds for PWP
* Raja approved utilisation of Rs 47bn against budgetary allocation of Rs 22bn
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Stopping the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) from releasing funds for People’s Works Development Programme-II (PWP), the Supreme Court on Friday directed the executing agencies to stop implementation of the development schemes until its further order, as former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had approved utilisation of Rs 47 billion against the budgetary allocation of Rs 22 billion during the financial year 2012-13.
The court has observed that prima facie the spending of huge funds by Raja for his constituency and obliging others was nothing other than pre-poll rigging. It also questioned the way the prime ministers dole out funds on the wishes of members of parliament, provincial assemblies and notables of different areas. “Whether without adhering to the rules of business and consent of his cabinet the prime minister alone enjoys unfettered powers to make allocations on the request of MPs, MPAs and notables. What is the justification available with the PM to accommodate a person,” the court’s order noted.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing of suo motu case, initiated on a news report of Daily Times that read that former prime minister Raja had doled out billions of rupees in the form of development funds ten days after having completed his tenure in office. The court was told on Friday that there has been no monitoring mechanism for spending of discretionary funds for the prime minister.
Cabinet Division Secretary Nargis Sethi said that the practice of spending from discretionary funds by the prime ministers had been in vogue for the last two decades without any monitory mechanism. Defending herself as cabinet secretary, Sethi said that in her capacity she had raised voice against the way money was being spent, and moved three different summaries. She added the funds were released even after the election commission put restrictions on development schemes.
Taking notice over the information forwarded by an additional secretary of finance that Rs 25 billion were obtained from different schemes under the Public Sector Development Programme 2012-13 through three different grants the bench directed the planning commission secretary to submit his reply in the court. The additional finance secretary, meanwhile, said that the money was obtained under different development heads, such as Higher Education Commission, Bhasha Dam, Lowari Tunnel and National Saving Schemes, to fund various projects under PWP-II.
“You have been following illegal orders of the government despite the fact that judicial verdicts had given the bureaucracy protection. The money obtained from important development projects has been spent on the discretion of the prime minister,” observed the chief justice. The bench was surprised to know that after exhausting Rs 22 billion at his disposal, ex-PM Raja after sought further Rs 25 billion, which included Rs 10 billion obtained through supplementary grants.
Sethi said that Rs 4.5 billion had not yet been released and rest of the money had been released to the executing agencies carrying out the development projects. For approval of development schemes in the normal course of process, different checks and monitoring mechanisms are available, but in case of discretion of the prime minister there is no monitoring, she added. The bench also issued notices to special secretary to the former prime minister, as he was responsible for action initiating for development schemes on behalf of the chief executive.
The court asked the special secretary to explain who persuaded the prime minister and obtained huge funds for different development programmes in their areas and constituencies. The court also asked Attorney General of Pakistan Irfan Qadir to assist the court in the case about use of discretionary funds by the former premier and adjourned the hearing until April 30.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk