ISLAMABAD - The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives was Monday informed that only 4.62 percent of the allocated funds, in the PSDP 2020-21, were utilised on 300 new projects during first two quarters of the current fiscal.
The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, which met with Agha Shahzeb Durrani in the chair, reviewed in detail the allocated, released and utilised funds during the first two quarters of the ongoing fiscal 2020-21.
It was informed that the total number of the projects in the PSDP 2020-21 is 998. The total cost of the 998 projects is Rs 8293 billion which include 650 billion PSDP allocations and Rs 5756 throw forward. Of the total 998 projects 300 are new projects while the remaining 698 were running projects.
For 300 new projects Rs 173 billion has been allocated in the PSDP 2020-21, the official informed. However, during the first two quarters (1st July to 31 December) only Rs 8 billion or 4.62 percent were utilized on the new projects, the official added. Similarly for the old/ongoing projects out of the total allocations of Rs 477 billion in the PSDP for ongoing fiscal Rs 198 billion has been utilized during first two quarters of the current fiscal.
Senator Rukhsana Zuberi asked that what was the procedure of the approval of the projects? She further asked to provide the complete mechanism of the project approval in writing to the committee. Official of the planning ministry informed that several steps have been taken for the timely completion of the projects. The ministries have been authorized to release funds for the projects for which they are not required to seek clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
It was told that the current PSDP consists of the big projects of seven institutions which included 520 infrastructure projects, social 306 projects, production 55 projects, governance 26 projects and one projects belongs to ERRA, the official maintained.
Regarding extension work on River Swan bridge on GT road, the committee was informed that work on the project was started in May 2017 at the cost of Rs 1326 million and was due to completed in May 2019. However, work on the project was delayed and will now be completed in June 2021.
