Punjab district governments utilised 53 percent of education funds

Despite great media "hype of literate Punjab" district governments in the province utilised only 53 per cent of allocated funds last year. Official sources said rupees 20.477 billion were spent on elementary education during 2004-05 from total allocation of rupees 38.477 billion.
However, 9.5 per cent was spent on elementary education as compared to rupees 18.522 billion in the previous year.
Sources added for reasons that were not clear, the expenditure by the District Governments of Hafizabad, Mianwali, Narowal and Sahiwal declined in 2004-05 as compared to 2003-04.
However, most of the district governments in Punjab did not maintain separate amount for expenditure on primary and middle school education.
As the middle school education was transition phase from primary to secondary and higher secondary levels, it was important to have financial data for elementary level of schooling to determine if investment was adequate.
The District Governments of Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar, Khushab, Lodhran and Rajanpur, which were rated low on Human Development Index, have made substantial increase in elementary education budget for the year 2004-05 as compared to the previous financial year.
During the year 2004-05, Rajanpur recorded the highest increase of 190 per cent in its spending on elementary education. The increase in case of Lodhran was 40 per cent. The District Government of Bahawalnagar increased its expenditure on elementary education by 32 per cent in 2004-05 compared to previous financial year. The increase in case of District Government Bhakkar was 27 per cent.
There were nominal increases in the allocations for elementary education during 2004-05 in case of Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Vehari districts.
The current exercise has not focused on investment for girls' elementary education. Thus it was not possible to segregate allocation and expenditure for female education at the primary and middle school levels.
For the next five years, Federal and Provincial Governments would spend over rupees 119.7 billion on education including elementary education. Of that amount, the federal government would provide rupees 26.6 billion, while remaining rupees 93.1 billion would be earmarked by the provincial governments in their annual budgets.
An amount of rupees 20.49 billion would be spent to improve education at elementary level while rupees 16.26 would be given to colleges for reforms and improvement.
About 25,000 literacy centres and 30,000 primary schools would be established across the country in five year, besides up-gradation of 50,000 primary schools to secondary level. Additional classes at XI-XII level would be started in 2,000 secondary schools.