In a surprise move, the Sindh government has decided to increase the limit of development funds for each MPA (Member Sindh Assembly) from Rs40 million to Rs60 million. And it is also for the first time that the government has decided to provide Rs40 million to each MNA (Member National Assembly) belonging to Sindh for initiating development projects in their respective areas.

These decisions were taken at two meetings chaired by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the CM House on Tuesday. Keeping in view increasing demands from Sindh Assembly members, the chief minister had decided to allocate Rs60 million to each MPA for development schemes, said a spokesperson for the government. The allocation for development funds has been increased from Rs40 million to Rs60 million for each of the 169 MPAs.

According to a handout, Shah said his government had decided that funds worth Rs40 million would also be allocated to each of the 75 MNAs belonging to Sindh.The government also decided to release 50 percent of funds for the 14 reserved seats of MNAs and 31 reserved seats of women MPAs.

Shah directed the planning and development department to expedite the process of according approval to schemes, while the finance department was told to release the funds accordingly.It was decided that the pace of rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, buildings and other schemes would be accelerated and completed within the stipulated time, and people facing hardships after heavy rains and floods would be provided with relief as early as possible.

The chief minister said that together with the ongoing schemes and new schemes, schemes for the installation of reverse osmosis plants would be launched in various localities in order to provide drinking water facility to the people of the affected areas.

The government, he said, had avoided the tendency to release funds in May, as it was a practice to utilise funds in a haphazard manner in the last month of a financial year, which affected the quality and standard of works.