PESHAWAR: Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Monday unveiled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rs180 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the ongoing fiscal year.
The budget document shows that the previous ADP was pitched at Rs208bn but was revised down to Rs147bn. The provincial component of the previous ADP decreased to Rs108bn from original Rs126 in the revised estimates while foreign aid reduced to Rs38bn from the original Rs82bn.
The development outlay for the ongoing fiscal year includes provincial component of Rs108.9bn (61 per cent) and Rs71.1bn (39pc) as foreign assistance. Of the total size of foreign assistance, Rs26.75bn (38pc) is marked as grant while Rs44.34bn (62pc) as loan for various development programmes.
The ADP consists of 1,380 schemes, of which 1,155 are ongoing ones while 225 are new projects. More funds have been allocated for ongoing projects with the aim to reducing throw forward liabilities and allow for completion of maximum projects.
Annual plan aims to improve service delivery at district level
In his budget speech, Mr Jhagra said that for the first time in Pakistan, local government has been devolved down from union council to individual villages. Out of the total development outlay, Rs29.345bn has been marked for three tiers of local government systems. The district development allocation breakdown shows Rs13.1bn has been earmarked for village and neighborhood councils, Rs8.122bn for district governments, and Rs8.122bn for tehsils.
An amount of Rs9bn has been allocated for 70 projects for Elementary and Secondary Education Department. Out of the 70 schemes, 62 are ongoing projects with an allocation of Rs8.76bn while eight are new projects worth Rs260 million.
The salient projects in Education Department include establishment of 200 primary and secondary schools in rented buildings, development of play areas in primary schools, provision of stipend for girls enrolled in secondary schools, new IT labs, and digital content development project.
An amount of Rs9.2bn has been allocated for 308 road projects out of which 298 are ongoing schemes with an allocation of Rs9.13bn and 10 are new projects worth Rs66m. These schemes include design and reconstruction of several bridges, special repair and maintenance of identified provincial highways through performance-based maintenance (PBM) pilot project under provincial roads improvement project, and a feasibility study on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Improvement and Rehabilitation Project.
The provincial government has allocated Rs78.65bn for 102 projects in health sector. Rs70bn has been allocated for 86 ongoing schemes while Rs8bn is earmarked for 16 new schemes. New projects incorporated in the budget include establishment of Trauma Centre at DHQ Hospital Lakki Marwat, establishment of cardiac cauterisation lab at three divisional headquarter (DHQ) hospitals, establishment of 12-15 bed burn centres at three DHQ hospitals, purchase of incinerators for deficient health facilities and establishment of Paediatrics Hospital in District Swat.
An amount of Rs4.1bn has been allocated for 65 educational projects out of which 45 are ongoing with allocation of Rs3.7bn while 20 are new projects worth Rs390m.
The major Higher Education Department projects include strengthening of public libraries, construction of building and purchase of necessary items for Directorate of Higher Education, establishment of reforms unit, and setting up an Economic Policy Research Institute at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.
For the local government, an amount of Rs2.93bn for 37 projects has been allocated. 28 of these are ongoing schemes with an allocation of Rs2.61bn and nine are new projects with allocation of Rs320.275m.
Sports, culture and tourism received Rs3.5bn. According to the provincial finance minister, ‘tourism is going to be a flagship sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s economy’.
Major projects for the Local Government Department include a development package for Galiyat Development Authority, replacement of water supply pipes adjacent to sewerage lines, rehabilitation/improvement of under developed areas of Swabi and solarisation of mosques in district Mardan.
An amount of Rs1.56bn has been allocated for 51 Home Department projects. 35 of these are ongoing projects with an allocation of Rs1.42bn and 16 are new schemes with an allocation of Rs136 million. Major projects include establishment of Forensics and Medico-legal Directorate (Rule of Law Roadmap), reformation and skills development facilities for probationers, case management system in the Directorate of Prosecution and its district offices, De-radicalisation and emancipation programme in Swat, and computerisation of Arms Licenses in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.