LAHORE, June 16: The Punjab government has set aside a record sum of Rs160 billion for the Annual Development Plan (ADP) for 2008-09 which would mainly be financed through surpluses accruing from revenue and capital accounts of the provincial government.The current ADP is 6.67 per cent higher than the previous year’s Rs150 billion.

According to budget documents tabled in the Punjab Assembly here on Monday, the current ADP includes Rs132.947 billion net revenue account surplus, Rs13.593 billion net capital account surplus and Rs1.221 billion net public account surplus, besides Rs1.226 billion federal grants and Rs11 billion foreign project assistance.

The ADP has been designed under the medium-term framework, with emphasis on social sectors (49.3 per cent) and rural areas (64.5 per cent), focus on infrastructural investment (34.3 per cent) and allocation to pro-poor sectors (82 per cent).

Sixty per cent of the funding has been allocated for ongoing projects to seek their completion while 40 per cent has gone to new projects. Fifty-eight per cent of 2,957 schemes are likely to be completed during the year.

Social sectors i.e. education, health, water supply and sanitation will see 24 per cent increase in funding over last year, infrastructural investments 25.7 per cent, production sectors 189.7 per cent, services sectors 61.4 per cent and special programme 23.3 per cent.

The allocation for education is over Rs30 billion, which is 40.3 per cent higher than the last financial year. It includes Rs5 billion World Bank-assisted Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme.

A model programme of upgrading two best colleges in each district launched last year for turning them into high quality institution with autonomous status will continue this year too. Two of the weakest colleges will be picked for a complete overhaul. Declaring cut in maternal and infant mortality rate, strengthening primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare as primary objectives of the government in the health sector in partnership with the private sector, the province has allocated Rs9 billion which is 38.4 per cent higher than the previous year. Around 140 rural health centres and 160 basic health units will be provided health facilities.

A feasibility study for health insurance would be undertaken, leading initially to a pilot project for health coverage for the poor. Feasibility studies would also be conducted for establishing a children hospital in Faisalabad, a cancer hospital, a liver institute and a neuro-sciences institute in Lahore.

The allocation for water supply and sanitation has been enhanced by 23 per cent over the previous year and Rs8 billion have been allocated, with priority to barani and brackish areas for provision of facilities, introducing concepts of water metering in rural areas and waste water treatment.

Most of the schemes being initiated belong to southern Punjab and Potohar areas.

For welfare of destitute women, elderly persons, orphans, widows and abandoned babies, an allocation of Rs700 million has been made. These funds would also be used for construction of women barracks in jails and their shelter homes (Darul Aman), as well as imparting them skills to make them economically independent.

To eliminate regional disparities, a sum of Rs2.4 billion has been proposed for launching Phase-II of Barani Village Development Project, southern Punjab poorer districts development programme and provision of necessary social and physical infrastructure, like roads, water supply and electricity in Cholistan.

The local government and community development department has been allocated Rs8.41 billion, 20 per cent higher than the last year’s ADP.

A sum of Rs2 billion would go to provide basic infrastructure in katchi abadis and Rs3 billion for Punjab Development Programme focusing generation of economic activity and employment through local level small schemes.

Road sector’s total outlay in the ADP is Rs17.5 billion, up 22 per cent than the last fiscal and accounting for almost 15 percent of the core development programme for 2008-09. About 500-km length of existing roads would be widened from the present 12 feet to 24 feet, while 150-km new roads or missing links would be constructed.

New schemes of elevated expressway — one each in Lahore and Rawalpindi — and dualisation of Gujranwala-Sialkot road would also be undertaken.

Irrigation sector’s total outlay for the year 2008-09 is Rs11.3 billion, constituting about 11.2 per cent of the core ADP.

Out of total 103 schemes included in the ADP, 60 have been targeted for completion by allocating 73 per cent of the outlay to the ongoing and 27 per cent to new projects.

The main targets are lining of 350km water channels, rehabilitation and modernisation of Taunsa Barrage, construction of five small dams, improving drainage and flood protection for 105 square mile area in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Sargodha and Kasur districts.

A 3.2 MW Khokhara hydropower project will also be completed besides preparation of five additional hydel power projects of 24.8 MW combined.

An amount of Rs6.768 billion has been allocated for urban development sector which is 44 per cent higher than last year’s.

The allocation includes Rs900 billion for projects to replace outlived water supply lines causing gastroenteritis threats.

A provision of Rs30 million has been made for identification, master planning and development of intermediate cities in the province.

The Punjab Large Cities Development Policy Loan is being negotiated with the World Bank to make large cities engines of economic growth.

The proposed $300 million loan is aimed at improving land use planning, property tax reforms, revenue generation, collection and effective urban services delivery.

Of production sectors, a sum of Rs3 billion has been apportioned to agriculture sector, Rs1.9 billion to livestock and Rs2.3 billion for TEVTA.

In the services sectors, Rs1.5 billion have been given to information technology, Rs2.5 billion to emergency service and Rs100 million to tourism sector.

Planning and development department would get Rs3.15 billion and the environment Rs1 billion.

Three major projects have been identified in the special infrastructure sector with an allocation of Rs29 billion for them. These are Lahore Ring Road, Sialkot-Lahore Motorway and Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System project.