PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Finance Minister Muzaffar Said on Wednesday unveiled the Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth Rs208bn for 2017-18.

The development outlay envisages provincial and foreign components of Rs126bn and Rs83bn, respectively. Within the foreign component, Rs29.44bn (36 per cent) is grant while Rs52.55bn (64pc) is loan. The major chunk of the loan is for the establishment of the Peshawar Bas Rapid Transit.

The provincial component of the development outlay is Rs98bn while the district component is around Rs28bn.

The development portfolio consists of 1,632 schemes. As many as 1,182 projects are ongoing while 450 projects are new.

As for the total ADP, 81pc allocations are for the ongoing projects while the rest are for the new ones.

The outlay for 2017-18 is 29pc higher than the current ADP of Rs161bn, with provincial and foreign components of Rs125bn and Rs36bn, respectively.

But as per the revised estimates, the provincial component was adjusted upward to Rs144bn and foreign component adjusted down to Rs22bn.

In the next year’s development outlay, foreign assistance increases 127pc to Rs83bn. The huge increase in the foreign component is because of the inclusion of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Throw-forward liabilities stand at Rs567bn. A new sector of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) or Chinese investment has been created with 84 projects and an outlay of Rs2,452.58bn. However, a token allocation of Rs1 million has been made for this in the ADP.

Districts’ ADP: The budget allocates Rs28bn for the three tiers of the local government system. It includes Rs13.1bn for the village and neighbourhood councils, Rs7.45bn for tehsils and towns and Rs7.45bn for districts.

Elementary, secondary education: An allocation of Rs14bn has been made for a total of 77 projects. Out of these, 60 projects are ongoing with an allocation of Rs12.6bn while 17 projects are new with an allocation of Rs1.35bn.

The development projects include standardising primary education across the province, ensuring the completion of primary schooling by all children, addressing gender disparity by promoting gender equality, affirmative action and the empowerment of women.

Roads: The government has allocated Rs13.73bn to execute 349 road projects. Out of these, 305 are ongoing projects while 44 are new. About Rs12.93bn is allocated for the ongoing projects while Rs793m is for the new ones.

Major targets in this sector include the construction of RCC Bridges at Swausar Kasai, Gulibagh and Sromanzai Dir Upper, realignment and black topping of Garam Chashma Road from Shaghore to Mough and the construction of dual carriageway from Chamkhani to Badaber via Sureazai with a link to Peshawar Ring Road.

HEALTH: The provincial government has allocated Rs12bn to the health sector for a total of 101 projects. Out of these, 75 are ongoing projects with an allocation of Rs9.96bn while 26 are new ones with an allocation of Rs2.03bn.

Development funds will be used in purchasing equipment for, among others, Hepatitis Centre at Nishter Abad, PGMI at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Casualty Block at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Institute of Kidney Diseases, and newly constructed additional wards at Lady Reading Hospital.

HIGHER EDUCATION: An allocation of Rs6.32bn has been made for higher education for a total of 65 projects. Out of these, 38 projects are ongoing with an allocation of Rs3.99bn and while the rest are new ones with an allocation of Rs2.32bn.

Salient features include the government’s plan to upgrade existing university campuses to fully fledged universities and performance-based grants to public-sector universities.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT: An allocation of Rs6.16bn has been made for a total of 30 projects out of which 24 are ongoing with an allocation of Rs5.62bn.

Major targets include the establishment of a Health City in Regi Model Town, construction of CPEC Tower, development of Civic Centre in Hayatabad under the CPEC and construction of the northern section of Ring Road (Missing Link) from Warsak Jamrud Road.

WATER: An amount of Rs7.05bn has been allocated for the water sector in KP for 2017-18. A total of 209 projects have been listed in budget documents. Out of these, 192 are ongoing projects with an allocation of Rs6.95bn while 17 projects are new with an allocation of Rs95.12m.

The remodelling of Warsak Canal System in Peshawar and Nowshera districts, improvement and upgrade of roads along canal and drainage systems, construction and improvement of flood protection works, improvement of channels and rehabilitation of canal roads in southern districts, and improvement and remodelling of existing irrigation and drainage infrastructure are the major targets for the next fiscal year.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: A total of Rs4.51bn has been allocated for development schemes that will be executed by the local government and rural development department.

The budget documents show 35 projects in total. Out of these, 26 projects are ongoing with an allocation of Rs2.36bn while nine projects are new and have an allocation of Rs2.14bn.

The budget documents show a development package for Kumrat and Barawal Valley as well as purchase of land/construction and installation of a sewerage treatment plant in Mansehra.

HOME DEPARTMENT: An amount of Rs2.42bn has been allocated for 59 projects. As many as 40 of these projects are ongoing, which will have an allocation of Rs1.98bn.

The projects include the establishment of a Forensic Science Laboratory, facilitation of female prosecutors in the prosecution offices and construction of a traffic warden headquarters.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2017