Sindh government has allocated Rs 50 billion for Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the fiscal year 2007-08, registering an increase of 49 percent over current year's revised estimates of Rs 35 billion.
According to Sindh budget for 2007-08, presented before Sindh Assembly here on Friday, the development outlay includes Rs 10 billion for district governments, which is a 25 percent raise as compared to the current year's revised estimates of Rs 8 billion. However, the total development outlay for the coming year would exceed Rs 71 billion including federal grants and foreign project assistance.
The provincial component of ADP will entirely be funded by the provincial government whereas the district governments will finance their component from 'Single Line Transfer', introduced since July 2006.
In 2007-08 ADP, the highest priority has been assigned to the communication sector, as Rs 7.66 billion or 19 percent of the provincial ADP and 70 percent above the current allocation of Rs 4.5 billion have been apportioned for development of the road network.
Agriculture sector receives Rs 1.725 billion in next ADP, which is 55 percent higher than the existing allocation of Rs 1.113 billion. While development funding for livestock and fisheries has been drastically raised to Rs 1.85 billion or 636 percent over the existing allocation of Rs 251 million.
Rupees 2.5 billion are allocated for education in provincial ADP against Rs 1.5 billion, which is 66 percent above the last year funding. While Rs 3.0 billion have been earmarked for water and sanitation sector in provincial ADP, which is another priority area of the government.
The most significant initiative for water, sanitation and public safety for next year is installation of purification plants (reverse osmosis) in all 1108 union councils of Sindh under the mega project viz. "Clean drinking water for all" benefiting 1.5 million souls.
In the next ADP, provision has been made for construction of working women hostels and shelter homes for women in all districts. Major development initiatives for the next year include establishment of three accident emergency (trauma) centres at PMCH Nawabshah, LMUH Hyderabad and Civil Hospital Karachi and provision of emergency centres at each district.
Equipment at Sindh government hospitals Korangi, Liaquatabad and Orangi Town would be upgraded with a cost of Rs 100 million. Around 260 non-functional health facilities in Sindh will be operationalised by spending Rs 500 million through SNEs.
In order to improve health care of mothers, neonates and children a Rs 5 billion mega project is being launched with the collaboration of federal government and royal government of Norway.