Projects in Gujrat: A Soap Opera of Nepotism and Corruption

A story by Anwar Hussain Sumra

Political gains are an obstacle to the comprehensive and accurate planning of various development projects. Sometimes, the planners are so handicapped to please the political bosses that they cannot notice the wastage of public money in billions. Such planning and development do not dent the public coffer alone but also become a permanent source of resources bleeding for a long time. The public kitty becomes so weak and vulnerable on such decisions that it cannot afford funds even for the prioritized general welfare projects. The same is the story with Punjab kitty as some projects have been conceived on the wishes of the political elite without proper planning and cost-effective manners, and their completion has become a nightmare.

Project distribution is the worst form of corruption and nepotism in Pakistan. Chief minister Punjab Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi approved the establishment of a small industrial estate of over 1600 Kanals of land in his native town Gujrat even in the contradiction of ground realities and facts. A heavy concrete structure (road network, buildings, sewerage, electricity and gas supply) is an essential requirement in an industrial estate. Initially, the idea was outlined in November 2021 with a total cost of Rs.1317 million, including a capital cost of Rs.1002 million and a revenue cost of Rs.314 million. Capital cost means infrastructure expenditures, and revenue refers to the value of land required. Later, it was revealed in a geological survey that the groundwater table of identified land was at 10 feet, and land is not feasible for the construction of heavy structures and buildings. The department again conducted an economic and financial analysis of the project and recommended revised total funds required to Rs.3971 million while land cost remained the same. On the direction of the chief minister, the Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP) conducted a geological survey of the land. It recommended that it be feasible with a total cost of Rs.5464 million.

Then, the capital cost jumped from Rs.1002 million to Rs.5092 million as road network, sewerage, electricity and gas infrastructure can be constructed 7 to 8 feet above the land’s surface. Although the ground is not geologically suitable and feasible for establishing an industrial estate, on the wishes of the political boss, heavy investment is being made to develop 336 industrial plots measuring one, two, four and eight Kanals. The idea behind this is to gain political benefits, tentative jobs and business announcements for the locals just to enhance the vote bank before upcoming elections. Punjab has been evident in such non-feasible adventures in the past by the outgoing political elites, which have yet not matured even after spending millions of rupees on public coffers.
In the near past, the Punjab government announced the establishment of a Small Industrial Estate over an area of 1840 Kanals of land at Chuniyan. After the completion of civil work worth Rs.1500 million, it was revealed that the underground water level is very high and heavy infrastructure civil work cannot be feasible on the site. Now the government has decided to establish Aqua Fish Forms on that site after the wastage of Rs.1500 million from public kitty. The new idea will take more time and funds for maturity. On the wishes of Shahbaz Sharif, the then chief minister, the Punjab government announced the construction of an Apparel Park over an area of 12370 Kanals of land near Motorway Sheikhupura in 2013 for the textile sector. The Punjab government acquired highly fertile, yield-generating land from small farmers at the cost of Rs.3030 million.

The land was known as a milk and vegetable basket for the surrounding urban areas. It was planned to complete civil work and all industrial facilities in 15 months. A foreign company signed an agreement to invest Rs.4000 million as a joint venture for development work. It was estimated that 600 textile units would be established over land, which may generate job opportunities for 2,50000 skilled and unskilled youth. Even after nine years of lapse, the only boundary wall was constructed at the site as the land was not suitable for industrial purposes as cotton raw material is not the crop of the area. Heavy investment in capital was made, but not a single industrial unit was there yet. It is owing to ill planning, lack of priorities and vision of the political elite. The PTI government declared it a business park after eight years to attract investors and industrialists for the colonization of the estate. In 2019, chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar directed his administrative team to establish a small industrial estate over an area of 400 Kanal in his native town Tounsa Sharif. Urban Unit was given the mandate to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed scheme and whether it meets the minimum benchmarks for the establishment of small industrial estates. The Urban Unit, after a comprehensive study, observed that the proposed site has no industrial sector support mechanism, it is too away from the key cities, even the required skilled manpower would not be available, and it is an upheaval task to provide electricity, gas supply and even raw material. Connecting the site with the airport, dry port Multan, Railway station and road network required investment in millions. It was revealed that the cost of the developed plot at the Industrial Estate is not affordable for locals, and they are more interested in keeping sheep and goats as a business. Underground water was not suitable for industrial purposes, and there was no industrial culture and minds among wealthy native families. The government has to scrape the idea even after the utilization of Rs.200 million from public kitty.

Industrial Estate development requires comprehensive planning with future vision, geological support, efficient mechanism, accessible provision of raw materials, affordable infrastructure set up and decided targets. Unfortunately, all these benchmarks are missing in the above Industrial Estates concepts, and only the wishes of political bosses prevail. Such ill-planned policies and strategies cannot provide the desired results and fruits and are just a waste of public money. However, the Punjab government has a dedicated Planning and Development Board and other expert entities for such tasks; these establishments bow at the knee to the wishes of the political boss and surrender spinelessly.