Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) Media Coordinator Faheem Raza here on Monday 2.07.2012 , held advocacy meeting with former Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Planning and Department of Sindh government Dr, Kaiser Bengali which was held at his office.
Issues related to Sindh government's planning and policies about natural disaster and strategy to cope with it and budget came under deliberations.
Renowned economics terms Sindh Budget 2012-2013 years 'joke' with people in name of human development and said that the budget is simply a document marked by ruling elite's only allocated funds in those projects and schemes in which they can earn money. Human development schemes and projects are not priority of the ruling class of Sindh province.
Recalling year 2011 and 2012 when he was involved in budget-making process, Bengali said few suggestions and policies of that time were implemented by Planning and Development Department and other policies which were pro-human development bulldozed by ruling elites of Sindh province.
"Ruling class of Sindh does not want policies which give direct benefit to people, bring prosperity and pave way for their economic empowerment," he said .It's not big task to make policy here but million dollar question is implementation of proposed policies. Citing example of 2010 flood, he added that Sindh government had done excellent job to mitigate losses of flood devastation and launched many schemes and projects for flood affected victims and redesigned and proposed human development policies.Sindh province riverine flood and rain water flood devastation risks can be lessened and Sindh province administration has enough time to cope with floods/rainfall and cyclones disasters but due to lack of implementing policies and pro-people human development approach of ruling elites during 2011 rainfall, the rehabilitation could not take place properly.
He shared with PDI Media coordinator that he had
proposed model villages for 2010 flood affected communities but sitting
lawmakers of Sindh Assembly vehemently opposed his plan to establish model
villages at DEH levels, containing all health, education and sanitation
facilities.
Dr. Bengali said there are forecasts that Pakistan will experience more floods and rains during the next 20 years. The poor people will be the main victims of these natural happenings, he said adding that rain disasters will definitely affect weak infrastructure and ultimately vulnerable sections of people would be suffered. He added that ruling elites of Sindh does not want a durable and long term base development to mitigate sufferings of the masses.
The economist pointed out that Planning and Development Department made homes for poor rain affected communities in Shikarpur district with cost of eighty thousand rupees and in those villages a proper drainage system and street were made. He said that when rain lashed out those villages recently, rainwater did not accumulate there.
Dr. Bengali said the flood-2010 had affected seven million people in Sindh province but a small number of people had died during the floods or due to hunger or diseases at the relief camps. But during the floods in 2011 human and livestock loss was more because people were caught unmoved owing to heavy rains and poor development planning.
The government is mostly spending budget on non development expenditure and there is no need of hiring consultants from outside government departments in Irrigation Department. He opined that Sindh Irrigation Department has handsome budget but due to poor capacity building of its staff, the department has been unable to utilize funds in transparent manner for rehabilitation of infrastructure to cope with floods/rainfall.He said that Chinese flood experts visited Sindh and they were given huge amount of money in name of consultancy and mostly ruling class of Sindh spends budget money on un-necessarily things but they are creating hurdles to implement pro-people schemes. With the support of foreign funding, he had proposed to plant mangroves in costal belt of Sindh to mitigate losses of cyclones but local elites opposed it.Speaking on early warning system, the planning expert said that it's not big task to inform communities regarding approaching floods but asked how Deputy Commissioner appointed on recommendations of feudal lords can serve the people and implement pro -people policies. He added that he is not blaming the present government but strongly believe that state authorities did not want human development and implementation of pro-people development.Dr. Kaiser proposed that in low-lying and disaster-prone areas, permanents relief shelters camps should be established just on pattern of Bangladesh to help the possible victims in emergencies.
Dr. Bengali said there are forecasts that Pakistan will experience more floods and rains during the next 20 years. The poor people will be the main victims of these natural happenings, he said adding that rain disasters will definitely affect weak infrastructure and ultimately vulnerable sections of people would be suffered. He added that ruling elites of Sindh does not want a durable and long term base development to mitigate sufferings of the masses.
The economist pointed out that Planning and Development Department made homes for poor rain affected communities in Shikarpur district with cost of eighty thousand rupees and in those villages a proper drainage system and street were made. He said that when rain lashed out those villages recently, rainwater did not accumulate there.
Dr. Bengali said the flood-2010 had affected seven million people in Sindh province but a small number of people had died during the floods or due to hunger or diseases at the relief camps. But during the floods in 2011 human and livestock loss was more because people were caught unmoved owing to heavy rains and poor development planning.
The government is mostly spending budget on non development expenditure and there is no need of hiring consultants from outside government departments in Irrigation Department. He opined that Sindh Irrigation Department has handsome budget but due to poor capacity building of its staff, the department has been unable to utilize funds in transparent manner for rehabilitation of infrastructure to cope with floods/rainfall.He said that Chinese flood experts visited Sindh and they were given huge amount of money in name of consultancy and mostly ruling class of Sindh spends budget money on un-necessarily things but they are creating hurdles to implement pro-people schemes. With the support of foreign funding, he had proposed to plant mangroves in costal belt of Sindh to mitigate losses of cyclones but local elites opposed it.Speaking on early warning system, the planning expert said that it's not big task to inform communities regarding approaching floods but asked how Deputy Commissioner appointed on recommendations of feudal lords can serve the people and implement pro -people policies. He added that he is not blaming the present government but strongly believe that state authorities did not want human development and implementation of pro-people development.Dr. Kaiser proposed that in low-lying and disaster-prone areas, permanents relief shelters camps should be established just on pattern of Bangladesh to help the possible victims in emergencies.
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