ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority (NHA) is the highest receiver of development funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21 with authorized release of Rs 21.5 billion followed by Water Resources with Rs 13.8 billion and Cabinet division Rs 13.4 billion.

As per the Finance Ministry's strategy for release of funds for development budget, 20 percent would be released in first quarter. According to the latest data available on the website of Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, federal government has authorized release of Rs 21.5 billion to NHA i.e. around 19 percent in the first two months of current fiscal year against allocations of Rs 118.67 billion for 2020-21.

The higher release also indicates the government priority for construction of road networks, of which Prime Minister Imran Khan was a great critic during the previous government.

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, however has stopped releasing details of PSPD authorization i.e. project-wise details and shares only a summary on website. When this correspondent approached the concerned section of the Ministry to seek details of authorization, the officials replied that they have been stopped from sharing such details.

The government authorized the release of Rs 50.95 million for Communications Division in the first two months against the allocation of Rs 254.75 million for the entire fiscal year.

The government has so far authorized release of Rs112.04 billion for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects under its PSDP 2020-21 against the total allocation of Rs650 billion. Under the development programme, the government has authorized the release of Rs73.7 billion for federal ministries, Rs28.6 billion for corporations and Rs9.4 billion for special areas.

For National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), the government has authorized release of Rs7.08 billion against the allocation of Rs158.3 billion for 2020-21.

The government also authorized the release of Rs13.8 billion for water resources division which is less than 17 percent of the total allocation of Rs81.2 billion for 2020-21; release of Rs13.4 billion has been authorized for the Cabinet Division which is 28 percent of the total allocation of Rs47.7 billion for the fiscal year 2020-21.

Release of Rs300 million has been authorized for Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) against the allocation of Rs1.5 billion for 2020-21.

An amount of Rs5.6 billion has been authorized for release for Higher education Commission (HEC) against Rs29.4 billion allocated for 2020-21. Further Rs70 million was authorized for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority against the allocation of Rs350 million for 2020-21.

The government has also authorized the release of Rs4.7 billion for Railways Division against allocation of Rs24 billion, Rs2.9 billion for Interior Division against the year's allocation of Rs 14.7 billion, Rs3.2 billion for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division against allocation of Rs14.5 billion and Rs283 million for Revenue Division against Rs 1.6 billion budgeted for the year 2020-21.

The government has also authorized release of Rs4.96 billion for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) block and other projects out of the budgeted Rs27.24 billion and Rs4.45 billion for Gilgit Baltistan (Block and other projects) out of total budgeted allocation of Rs25 billion for 2020-21.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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