F.P. report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan has directed all the administrative departments of the province to take effective measures to ensure 100% utilization of the ADP budget adding that a progress review meeting on the utilization of the development budget should be held monthly by every department so as to ensure optimum utilization of resources and realization of the development targets.
The Chief Minister further directed all the concerned departments to surrender all un-utilized budget by 15th of April so that proper allocation of resources can be made adding that that previously the entire focus of development programs was given to expansion of projects and construction of buildings and no focus was given to services delivery.
These views were stated by the Chief Minister while chairing the progress review meeting of ADP of all the provincial/merged areas.
The meeting was also informed that development projects worth rupees 12.7 billion will be initiated in the newly merged districts soon. Most of these projects will be initiated by end of the ongoing month.
While addressing a press conference regarding the ADP review meeting, the Minister for Finance, Taimoor Salim Jhagra added that due to proper financial planning the fiscal space has increased whereas the rationalization of budget has also been made during the previous 8 to 9 months. He told that despite financial constraints, the performance of KP govt has been optimum.
The Finance Minister further added that during the third quarter of ongoing fiscal year, 78% of the development budget was released whereas the total expenditure against the released budget remained 66% which is equal to the third quarter expenditure of previous year. He further told that the government will improve its financial monitoring system during the next fiscal year to ensure up to 80% expenditure.
The finance Minister also told that for the ongoing fiscal year, a total of Rs 181 Billion were allocated for development projects out of which 119 billion were released and Rs 90 billion have been spent so far.
The ADP review meeting was informed that a total of Rs 9452 Million have been allocated in the year 2018-19 for 308 projects related to construction and rehabilitation of roads throughout the province. The total expenditure of so far has been 93% in this regard.
The meeting was further informed that in the year 2018-19 a total of Rs 3427 Million have been spent on 70 development projects of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department. In the health sector a total of Rs 3299 Million have been spent on 104 development projects so far.
In the water and irrigation sector, a total of Rs 5599 Million development budget was released for 176 development projects against which 81% utilization has been made so far. For the urban development, Rs.1543 Million have been spent on 33 development projects where as for the drinking water supply schemes a total of Rs 2970 Million have been released for 50 development projects out of which 2287 Million have been spent so far.
In the local government sector, a total of Rs 1282 Million have been spent on 37 development projects whereas in the environment sector Rs 22 Million have been released against 5 development projects. The budget utilization in environment sector has been 72% so far.
For the relief and rehabilitation development projects, a total of Rs 723 Million has been released for 28 development projects. Budget utilization in the relief and rehabilitation sector has been 71%.
With regards to the 35 development projects in the law department, the meeting was informed that a total of Rs 880 Million have been allocated against which the budget utilization has been 76% whereas in the sports department, Rs1117 Million have been spent on 67 development projects and Rs 382 Million have been spent on 17 development projects in the industries department so far.
While addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister stated that budget planning should be made keeping in view services delivery instead of expansion and construction of buildings so as to facilitate public on every level.
