KARACHI, June 11: The Sindh government has allocated Rs181 billion for Annual Development Programme while the total development expenditure rose to Rs231 billion for the fiscal year 2012-13.

The province has increased the Annual Development Plan substantially high for the fiscal 2012-13 with inclusion of new schemes mostly dominated by food and agriculture, mining, education and others.

The province has made a substantial increase in its Annual Development Plan (ADP) with the inclusion of many new schemes, mostly dominated by food and agriculture, mining, education.

According to budget documents, the total development expenditure rose to Rs231 billion compared to revised estimate of Rs155.8 billion for the current fiscal year 2011-12.

The ADP would consume Rs181 billion, higher than Rs133 billion revised estimates for the current fiscal year.

“During five years of Pakistan People’s Party-led government, an unprecedented amount of Rs644 billion has been allocated for development which includes Rs231 billion proposed for the next financial year.

Compared to this, cumulative development spending from 1947 to 2007 stood Rs310 billion, that is less than half of the amount allocated in the five years of the PPP government,” said Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh’s Minister for Finance in his budget speech.

The provincial contribution for the total expenditure would be Rs180.9 billion, federal assistance Rs22.5 million, foreign project assistance Rs35.6 billion and other federal grants Rs14.5 billion.

Of Rs181 billion, the highest amount of Rs87.351 billion has been allocated for Social Protection (excluding district ADP).

It is much higher than the revised estimates of the current fiscal year which stood at Rs33.270 billion. Originally Rs80.5 billion were allocated for this head.

The Rs52.8 billion have been allocated for economic affairs which is substantially lower than the revised estimates of Rs73.4 billion for the current fiscal year.

A major increase has been noted in spending for general public services for which Rs11.8 billion have been set aside compared to revised estimates of Rs3.762 billion of the current fiscal year.

For agriculture Rs7.99 billion have been allocated which is much higher than allocations of the current fiscal year, but slightly lower than the revised estimates of Rs8 billion.

For irrigation, Rs8 billion have been allocated while Rs955 million for forestry. The revised estimates under the head of forestry for the current fiscal year stood at Rs1.998 billion, much higher than the allocation for the next budget.

Under the ADP, an amount of Rs31.8 billion has been allocated for the next fiscal year for total agriculture, food, irrigation, forestry and fishing.

The amount is much higher than the budgeted amount of Rs14.4 billion for current year while revised estimate was Rs27.68 billion.

For mining and manufacturing, Rs1.859 billion have been allocated.

A big cut was shown under the head of road transport as only Rs16 billion have been allocated for new budget while revised estimates for the current fiscal year stood at Rs42 billion. The original target in the budget was Rs11 billion.

For health sector, the government has allocated Rs11 billion while revised estimates for the sector are Rs8.535 billion.

Education affairs and services got slightly higher allocation than the revised estimate of the on-going fiscal year. The amount for the sector was increased to Rs12.5 billion while the revised estimates for the current fiscal are Rs11 billion.

An amount of Rs9653.025 million has been set aside for new schemes during the financial year 2012-13.

The entire amount has been provided for improving agriculture and food sector as well as irrigation.

A provision of Rs544.492 million had been made for new schemes under ADP 2012-13 during the financial year 2012-13. The entire amount has been provided for schemes of environment protection in the province.