LAHORE - The Punjab government has spent around 50 per cent of its annual development fund during first three quarters, amounting to Rs 99 billion out of total annual fund of Rs 200 billion for 2013-14, a senior official said on Thursday.
The officer, however, refused to revealed sector-wise or department-wise funds utilisation details.
The public sector departments utilised 62 percent of the total releases till the end of March this year, the P&D ADP review report said.
The government in current fiscal year 2013-14 had fixed Rs 290 billion for annual development programme in the province. However, the outlay in the programme was revised downward to Rs 200 billion as Punjab could not get Rs 40 billion from other sources. Moreover, Rs 50 billion were given to Finance department for TEVTA, Danish Schools and for such other heads.
Sources in the Planning and Development Board said that the government during nine months released Rs 160 billion to different departments and organisations for uplift purposes. A large chunk of amount was released to the energy sector, education, health, communication, mines and minerals, tourism, public buildings, environment, food, literacy, local government, higher education and agriculture departments. The departments could spend Rs 99 billion that was 62 percent of the released amount.
Notably, Punjab government during 2012-13 could just 47 per cent instead of 50 per cent of the annual development fund during first nine months.
The total ADP last year was Rs 210 billion and the government had released Rs 149 billion during nine months while the departments could outlay only Rs 98 billion from July 1st to March 31 during 2012-13. Some departments like Tourism and TEVTA could not spend funds more than five percent. However, sources said that the utilisation of funds in both of the departments was much better than the last year.
A senior officer of the P&D board said that the utilisation of development funds in the current quarter would be much better and the development projects would be completed rapidly.
P&D Chairman Irfan Elahi confirmed that the funds utilisation remained 62 percent during first three quarters and hoped that it would be better in the current quarter.