Rs140 billion shortfall in fed transfers lands Sindh in financial crunch

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that due a shortfall of around Rs140 billion in federal transfers the provincial government has caught in a very difficult situation to give any relief to the poor people of the province.

This he said while talking to media just after offering condolence with the bereaved family of Allama Abbas Kumaili at his residence at Soldier Bazaar. He was accompanied by provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Shaikh and his Special Assistant Rashid Rabbani.

He said that the federal government through a letter in June had told the Sindh government that it would be given Rs666 during the current financial year. “So far we [the provincial government] have received around Rs492 billion and the federal government has to release about Rs174 billion by the end of this month. He added that this morning the finance department has received a letter under which Rs35 billion has been further curtailed from the share of the provincial government.

Shah said that his government would be able to give some sort of relief to the people of Sindh if the federal government managed to release Rs130 billion to Sindh. “This precarious condition is not prevailing only in Sindh government but all other provinces are passing through such a situation,” he said.

The chief minister said that he had been making budgets of the provincial government from the last 10 years but he had never witnessed such a serious financial crunch in which formation of the budget could become an invincible job.

Replying to a question, Shah said that the government budgets normally invite criticism but this time the federal government had appeared to be frowned in its inefficiency to achieve the revenue collection targets and had totally refused to give any relief to the people of the country. “I am sorry to say the federal government has neither the vision nor the intention to provide relief to the poor people of Pakistan,” he said.

To a question, he said that he was expecting the Prime Minister would give good news in his message to the nation on June 10 but there was nothing positive in his five minutes video talk. “How one can be optimistic when nothing was coming out positive from the people at the helm of affairs,” he questioned.

Talking about K-IV project, the chief minister said that the PTI leaders were making hue and cry saying that provincial government had destroyed the project. “Oh, yes may be I or someone else had done wrong with the project but it doesn’t mean that you [fed govt] are adamant to punish people of Karachi by abandoning the project,” he said.

Replying to a question, Mr Shah said that incidentally the PTI had won some seats in election 2018, otherwise neither they have roots among the people nor any intention to establish them [roots]. He urged the media to inquire from MQM-P how the PTI had won from their traditional constituencies, particularly from the area of 90. “This is what I am saying that they have come into assemblies incidentally, therefore they were thinking constrictive and positive for this city,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Shah offered fateh for Allama Abbas Kumeli with his son Kazim Abbas Kumeli and said Allama Abbas was a great human being. He always worked for sectarian harmony. His death has created a vacuum which would be difficult to fill. He said the services of Allama Abbas Kumeli would always be remembered.

Latter, the chief minister went to the residence of Major Moeez who was martyred in South Waziristan on June 7. The chief minister offered condolence with Mqsood baig, the father of Shaheed Major Moiz.

Talking to media, the chief minister said that the nation and the family of Major Moeez was proud of his sacrifice and he would always be remembered as hero of the nation.

To a question, the chief minister said that the provincial government always give comepsnation to the families of policemen and Rangers jawan who sacrifice their lives in the line of their duty. “I will find ways and means to give compensation to the family of Shaheed Major Moeez,” he said.