lahore - The Punjab government has decided that the next development budget (2013-14) in the province would be Rs 200 billion, in which, 80 per cent of funds would be allocated for ongoing development schemes.
P&D officials said that in southern Punjab, development funds would also be allocated according to the population’s ratio. According to P&D officials, Chief Minister Punjab Najam Sethi has also directed the Chairman P&D to release the funds for completion of ongoing development programmes on top priority basis. Moreover, they said that during the next fiscal year 2013-14, Rs.160 billion to Rs.170 billion would be available especially for development projects in the shape of cash. According to these figures, provincial government priorities would be education sector, health sector, social sector, irrigation sector and energy sector. The Punjab government would also focus on the matters of waste water treatment plant and deduction in stagnant waste water ponds in the rural areas during the next fiscal year 2013-14.
They said that high level meetings of affairs of development budget of upcoming fiscal year 2013-14 were held recently in this regard with the Punjab Chairman P&D Board Sohail Ahmad in the chair. Secretary P&D Arif Anwar Baloch, senior representatives of P&D department including provincial administrative secretaries, project directors and other high officials of different departments also participated in the meetings. 
The caretaker Punjab government would provide sufficient funds to complete the projects of energy sector to produce energy at the different canals. Moreover, development funds are being allocated to construct the buildings and improvement of the jails across the Punjab under the Jails reforms Project of honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan.
 Officials said that under the formulation of ADP 2013-14, the care taker Punjab government is focusing to complete all the ongoing development schemes of different provincial departments during the next fiscal year 2013-14 on his top priorities.