Govt increases MNAs’ fund to record Rs87bn

A day after opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won six out of eight seats it had vacated, an urgently called virtual meeting of the Economic Coordination Commi­ttee (ECC) of the federal cabinet approved a supplementary grant of Rs17 billion to increase discretionary spending on development schemes of parliamentarian to a record Rs87bn. The meeting, which was presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar from London through video link, also approved Rs3.2bn to provide seed to wheat farmers affected by devastating floods and deferred a summary for another Rs5bn funds till the seventh housing and population census. The increase in funds for development schemes to Rs87bn would ensure that all 174 members of the National Assembly belonging to Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would get Rs500million worth of small schemes — sewage lines, gas, water and electricity connections, and repair and maintenance of streets — in the name of Sustainable Deve­lopment Goals (SDGs).