Rs 220 billion ADP presented

The Punjab government has prepared a Rs 220 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for fiscal year 2011-12, showing an over 13 percent increase as compared to the last year's Rs 193.5 billion. The ADP has been formulated within a Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF), a rolling plan providing development estimates for a three year period.
The main objective of the ADP is to achieve equitable growth embracing all classes, sectors and regions, extend social sector coverage, generate employment, enhance productivity and competitiveness in the production sector, encourage public private partnership, infrastructure development, its rehabilitation and consolidation and provide more resources for the less developed areas.
According to the budget documents, special emphasis has been laid on removal of inter-regional disparities and a special allocation of Rs 10 billion has been proposed for 11 districts of Southern Punjab in 2011-12. An allocation of Rs 3.5 billion has been made for seven districts for which no allocation was made last year.
Other special packages for districts and large cities have also been continued in APD 2011-12. Also, the focus on gender based investment remains a priority with an approximate allocation of Rs 13 billion. Investments proposed in schemes in rural and urban areas are in the approximate ratio of 65:35, suggest the budget documents.
It may be noted that there is no token allocations for new schemes in the ADP 2011-12. An allocation of Rs 4 billion is made for rehabilitation of existing road network and or Rs 2 billion for new farm to market road.
Similarly, Rs 2.5 billion has been allocated for acquisition of land for new industrial city on motorway. For the first, Rs 2 billion allocation is made for provision of laptops to the students. Similar amount is fixed for Saaf Pani Project. An allocation of Rs 10 billion is made for South Punjab Development Programme (SPDP) besides adopting and continuing with projects devolved by the federal government to the Punjab in the aftermath of 18th amendment.
Total volume of Net Development Programme is Rs 188 billion, including Rs 71.635 billion for social sector (including Rs 23. 90 billion for education and Rs 14.80 billion for health), Rs 59 billion for infrastructure development, Rs 10.525 billion for production sectors, Rs 11.75 billion for services sectors, Rs 5.89 billion for environment, information culture & youth affairs, religious affairs & Auqaf, human rights & minority affairs, access to justice programme and planning & development, Rs 29.20 billion for special programmes/packages.
Meanwhile, special allocations are made in the APD, including Rs 3 billion for Daanish School System, Rs 2 billion for Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), Rs 6 billion for Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Rs 2 billion for TEVTA, Rs 6.5 billion for DLIs for MDGs, Rs 650 million for low income housing and Rs 1.8 billion for population welfare.
It may be noted that the former Finance Minister and the PPP leader Tanvir Ashraf Kaira had pointed out a day earlier that the Punjab government has never spent more than 60 percent of the ADP throughout last three years. He had also alleged that the PMLN is focused on spending on the development of Lahore while cutting development programmes of other districts. He said there is a long list of failed projects including Sasti Roti scheme and Food Support programme and predicted similar fate of Danish School System and Aashiana Housing Scheme.