KARACHI - The federal government has released only Rs9.520 billion to Sindh against the total allocation of Rs25.435 billion for development projects under the PSDP for financial year 2009-10, officials told The Nation. The centre had allocated a total of Rs25.435 billion for 85 uplift schemes during the last fiscal year 2009-10; however, the released from Islamabad was meagre, showing a lack of priority of central government to the development schemes in the provinces. However, the Senate Standing Committee on Federally Funded projects which runs under the chairmanship of Senator Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, had already shown concerns over slow and less releases of federal funds to the Sindh province in terms of PSDP projects. It also learnt that Sindh Chief Minster Syed Qaim Ali Shah and his cabinet members also raised the issue of slow pace with less releases of development funds from federal governments before the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani at CM house Karachi on Monday, urging for directions to get timely release of funds from the Federal Finance Ministry. According to the presentation, prepared by the Sindh Planning and Development Department, which also placed before the Prime Minister during the meeting at CM House, a total number of 85 development schemes were part of the Federal PSDP in last FY2009-10 including 64 new schemes and 21 ongoing schemes. However, a total sum of Rs174.837 billion has been estimated to complete the ongoing/new schemes of the last fiscal, out of which a total expenditure had been incurred up to June 2009, was Rs49.895 billion. According to sector-wise release of the federal funds, against total allocation of Rs7.215 billion, the federal government released Rs2.293 billion for 11 schemes of water sector in last fiscal year. Similarly, out of Rs2.723 billion for 4 schemes of Agriculture sector, the federal government released only Rs2.211 billion in last fiscal, however till April these releases were only Rs120 million. Against total allocation of Rs1.290 billion for 2 schemes of Population sector, the federal government released only Rs520 million. While, against Rs272 million for 4 schemes of education sector, the centre released only Rs188 million, however these released were meagre amount of Rs8.728 million till April 2010. Similarly, out of Rs3.159 billion for 25 schemes of road sector, total releases from federal government were only Rs1.395 billion. The Planning and Development Departments presentation showed that the overall federal releases are meagre and very less than annual allocations for uplift schemes being executed by federal government under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in last fiscal year 2009-10. In other sectors, against total allocation of Rs8.413b for 23 schemes of Water and Drainage sector, Islamabad released only Rs1.877b in last fiscal year. Similarly, out of total allocation of Rs1.419 billion, the federal government released only Rs356 million for 7 schemes of health sector. Meanwhile, against total federal allocation of Rs305 million for Environment sector, the Islamabad released only Rs300 million in last fiscal year. Despite allocating Rs246 million for Textile Industry in Sindh and Rs12.4 million for Labour and Manpower sector, the federal government did not release a penny for these schemes in last fiscal year.