KHAIRPUR - The acting vice chancellor (VC) of IBA University Sukkur Engineer Zahid Hussain Khand said on Sunday that National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was based on certain figures, which were misinterpreted by the Centre as well as the provinces. While addressing a seminar titled, ‘The Resource Distribution and NFC Award,’ held at the auditorium of the university, Khand said that more than 82 percent of focus of the NFC Award was on the population of a certain federating unit, adding there were other factors also, which are needed to be taken into account such as poverty in that area and expenses made there. “But in our country, unfortunately we lack authenticity of the data,” he said.
Referring to the recent population census, he said that Sindh was not satisfied with the results. “There is a mess in the tax and revenue collection system as there is no authentic data available,” he lamented.
Dr Qaiser Bengali, an economist, while referring to his old affiliation with Sukkur IBA University, said that during his stint as the economic adviser to Sindh CM, he approved all the projects related to the university without any hesitation because he knew that every single penny will be spent properly.
Talking about the devastating floods of 2010, he said that funds to all the departments were cut, except the Thar Coal, Sindh Assembly and Sukkur IBA University. He further said that since the NFC Award was distributed on the basis of population, thus Punjab got 57 percent of it.
He said that Punjab was against the NFC Award and did not want to change its pattern, and thus resorted to delaying tactics.
“A committee was also formed to look into the matter, but it proved nothing but wastage of time,” he recalled.
He further said that when NFC was reconstituted in August 2009, the then Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah formed a ministerial committee to finalise the process.
One killed, five wounded in road accident
One person was killed while five others were injured in a road accident near here on Sunday.
A speeding dumper collided with a trailer parked at National Highway near Baberloi as a result of which driver of the trailer Munnawar Ali Shaikh died on the spot while five persons were injured.
The injured were shifted to Sukkur hospital while body of the deceased was handed over to his heirs after postmortem from Gharhi Mori hospital.
Police have arrested driver of the dumper and registered a case.