LAHORE – SALMAN ABDUHU - Keeping its tradition alive, the Punjab government failed this year too to consume the full share of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) funds, as it could utilise Rs 160 billion only out of the total amount of Rs 220 billion allocated in the budget 2011-12.
Officials said the provincial government had already slashed the ADP for the FY 2011-12 by 36 per cent to divert funds for attracting the voters through other schemes, including free distribution of laptops, Ashiyana Housing Scheme and Danish Schools. Hence, the total funds for the uplift projects were reduced by around 36 per cent. They said at the beginning of last month, only Rs 118 billion of the ADP were used, adding that the Finance Department released around Rs 167 billion in the month of May on the requests of the executing agencies; however, the utilisation could not exceed the mark of Rs 118 billion during the said period. But in the first week of the current month, the ADP utilisation had touched the figure of just Rs 160 billion, sourced added.
As per the minutes of the third quarterly review of the ADP 2011-12, the budget allocation had been lowered from Rs 220 billion to Rs 184 billion without mentioning any reason. Though, the Finance Department released Rs 135 billion yet the departments utilised Rs 82 billion only, which is 62 per cent of the released money by the end of March this year.
After the 3rd quarter review of the ADP, the government decided that all the unapproved schemes should be sanctioned by the competent forum immediately so that the maximum utilisation of the allocated funds could be ensured.
It decided that the departments concerned would ensure that their monthly progress reports, containing all schemes should be regularly received in the P&D department after reconciliation with the Finance Department.
The departments were directed to make full efforts to gear up the utilisation of funds already released. The government further directed the departments concerned to cap the slow-moving projects and divert the funds to the fast-moving schemes so that the funds could be used by the end of the fiscal year; however, all this effort resulted in the consumption of Rs 186 billion only.
Sources said the government was likely to increase the allocation for ADP by 30 per cent to Rs 260 billion in 2012-13 from the last year’s level of Rs 220 billion.
Officials said south Punjab, education and health sectors would be the major gainers of the budget. They said around Rs 3 billion was likely to be allocated for the provision of public transport and up to 1,000 buses would be provided for urban transport.
The government has also planned to allocate Rs 4 billion for the distribution of more 100,000 laptops among students.