Sindh community development scheme six NGOs inducted due to political pressure
KARACHI: With the inclusion of six non-governmental organizations (NGOs), through political pressure from various circles, Sindh community development scheme is likely to throw away several other organizations from the whole process.
The Sindh government recently initiated the community development scheme to carry out it under the public-private partnership. The private organizations will have to bear only 20 percent of the total project cost, while the government will spend 80 percent.
The scheme is approved under the annual development programme (ADP), official
Sources told Business Recorder on Monday.
In this connection, they said that the government had sought proposals from interested
NGOs for the project initiation. About 50 applicants appeared, out of which only 25 were
shortlisted. To complete the process, the successful 25 NGOs later briefed the provincial
steering committee, which was headed by Air Marshal (retd.) Riazuddin Sheikh, they
pointed out.
“The sudden appearance of other six NGOs in the process through political interference has endangered the approval of many qualified organizations, besides disturbing the project execution”, they added.
There are apprehensions over the inclusion of NGOs without going through the legal procedure. It also raises questions over the transparent use of huge funds, they said.
They say the project will aim at improving health and education sectors, water and sanitation conditions, improvement of infrastructure in rural areas, women empowerment etc.
Women Prisoners Development Society and Zindagi Trust, Rotary Club and Children’s Museum for Peace and Human Rights are the organizations, which came into the process illegally. But, the names of other two NGOs could not be ascertained, the official sources said.
The committee members are retired bureaucrats including Shafiq Paracha, and Hamid
Akhund, 15 senior government officers besides representatives of different NGOs. The
project will be executed under the supervision of additional Chief Secretary,
Planning and Development Nazar Hussain Mahar, they said.
The steering committee on the directive of the government took briefing of these six NGOs on Monday.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:1/27/2009
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