Sindh govt decides to ensure effective implementation of uplift schemes across districts

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a meeting, reviewed the District Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2025-26, during which he took policy decisions to ensure transparent and effective implementation of development schemes across districts.

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Minister P&D Nasir Shah, Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Local Govt Waseem Shamshad, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi and others.

The Sindh government has allocated Rs 55 billion in the provincial budget 2025-26 for District ADP schemes.

The P&D Department, on the directives of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, convened two meetings in July to receive inputs from the Finance Department on guidelines, funds release strategy, and funds distribution as per the PFC Award 2007. After detailed deliberations, it was decided to continue with the existing procedure for implementing District ADP 2025-26, while a committee would also be formed to further strengthen the process.

To rationalise allocations, the chief minister decided to earmark 80 percent of funds for ongoing schemes and 20 percent for new schemes. The minimum approval limit for a scheme will be Rs 5 million. In contrast, the maximum limit will be Rs 40 million for District Development Committees (DDCs) and Rs 60 million for District Development Boards (DDBs).

The CM said that deputy commissioners will act as project directors of the schemes in their respective districts. The schemes will be prepared by executing agencies mandated to carry out specific works and approved by District Development Committees/ District Development Boards.

“To prevent duplication, agencies and local bodies must certify that proposed projects are not part of completed or ongoing schemes in the past three years,” the CM instructed. Murad Shah emphasised that sectoral ownership at the district level should be ensured and that at least 50 percent of the cost of each scheme be allocated in the current fiscal year. He also directed that District ADP schemes should ideally be completed within one year, with exceptions allowed only under strong justification.

The CM further decided that funds allocation should focus on completing ongoing schemes within the financial year. No revision or re-revision of schemes will be allowed, except under exceptional circumstances such as escalated costs or missing essential components. He added that `throw-forward’ of ongoing schemes should not exceed two years.

Shah decided that no new schemes must be planned with 100 percent allocation for one year; in special cases, up to two years. Release of funds for ongoing schemes will be made in two equal installments and for new schemes in four equal installments, subject to 60 per cent utilisation of previously released funds.

The chief minister stressed that District ADP funds must be utilised efficiently, with maximum focus on the completion of ongoing projects, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the process.