Rs147.05bn to be spent on development projects

KARACHI : The total development outlay for the province has been revised upward to Rs 147.05 billion for new fiscal year

Published June 10, 2011 Updated June 10, 2011 01:41pm

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By Asad Naeem

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The provincial based schemes are allocated Rs 111 billion, the district governments will be provided Rs 20 billion and Rs 16.05 billion is allocated for Foreign Project Assistance, he said giving break-up of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) while addressing a post-budget press conference.

Later, economist and advisor to the chief minister for Planning and Development Kaiser Bengali said, Development Programme 2011-12 has been formulated in line with the vision to move away from "development by schemes" to development through programmes.

In this exercise 369 schemes where 100% funding has been provided and these stand completed are not included in ADP 2011-12. In addition to this all those slow moving schemes which were initiated long before 2007-08 and having less than 25 percent utilisation were examined and 341 such schemes are not included in ADP 2011-12. The total schemes, 710 in number, are not included in ADP 2011-12.

"This exercise has created huge fiscal space for inclusion of new initiatives in ADP 2011-12," he pointed out.

Sectors that have been prioritised in terms of allocation are Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Water and Drainage, Education, Health, Industries, Thar Coal and Housing, village and town rehabilitation.

About the on-going and new schemes, he said in the ADP 2011-12 out of the total provincial outlay of Rs 111 billion funds to the tune of Rs 63.859 billion (58%) have been earmarked for the ongoing 1254 schemes and the rest, that is, Rs 47.141 billion (42%) for 483 new schemes, the Advisor added.

Kaiser Bengali said that district governments have been given an acceleration of 11% to Rs 20 billion over the allocation provided in ADP 2010-11 which was Rs 18 billion. "The District Governments will fund their ADP component from the "Single Line Transfer" given by the Provincial Government under "Account No. IV" and district governments will have to cater all their expenditure including development from this grant," he maintained.

Referring to budget for water and drainage sector, the CM's Advisor said that during last year's super floods, the infrastructure, embankments of canals, branches, agriculture, livestock, human settlements were badly damaged, affecting more than 7 million people in the province.

"The damage in Sindh has been estimated to be around Rs 462 billion, therefore, funds to the tune of Rs 3,800 million has been allocated for the sector, so that rural economy can revive and provide food and fodder for the inhabitants of the province," he added.

In addition Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds amounting to Rs 20,877 million would be provided for re-construction and rehabilitation of bunds and canals. The Advisor said that allocation for agriculture sector has also been kept at Rs 3,251 million in current year ADP 2011-12 while livestock and fisheries sector has been provided Rs 2594.103 million.

Similarly, the provincial government has allocated Rs 11,000 million for communication sector to improve the condition of roads. The health sector, another priority area of the government will get Rs 6,930 million and education Rs 7,733 million.

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