ISLAMABAD, June 18: Punjab is leading the provinces in implementation of the programme loan schemes under the Access to Justice Programme (AJP), as it has completed work on 410 schemes under the programme.

According to a press release issued here on Wednesday the work on remaining 88 schemes was going on in various districts of Punjab.

As part of the financial plan, Punjab was entitled to a share of Rs6,132 million as per NFC Formula. Out of this entitlement the cumulative budgetary allocation made so far is Rs5640 million and up till now Rs5400 million have been released by AJP for utilisation in the province.

Work on the programme loan schemes is in process with a deadline of June 2011 while the majority of projects in various justice sector departments have been completed successfully. Cost distribution percentage of various departments indicates that major portion of the amount is being spent on reforms in judiciary.

Judiciary has a share of 57 per cent in the indicated cost distribution for various projects in Punjab. Total number of 342 schemes with an estimated amount of Rs2520 million are being spent on infrastructure and capacity building projects.

As part of this plan, 176 court rooms and buildings, 253 residences for judicial officers, 52 buildings with amenities for litigants, 10 judicial complexes, 2 bar rooms, land acquisition at eight places and eight projects for raising the capacity of departments with information technology equipments have already been completed with an expenditure of Rs1920 million.

According to the details of the ongoing schemes, some 74 more offices, 76 residences, 11 complexes, 17 amenity units for litigants are under construction with an estimated expenditure of Rs1440 million.

The police department with its provision of Rs327 million has focused on establishment of 14 new police lines, 19 barracks and 13 residential complexes. The projects worth Rs160 million have been completed where as work on Rs168 million projects are going on at various districts in Punjab.

In Prison Department, Rs1512 million are separately reserved for the on-going construction work of eight barracks and 128 death cells, 64 residences for jail staff, 17 lavatories and two high security jails.

The Punjab law department is also moving ahead for utilising Rs94 million being spent on various infrastructure schemes in the province. The home department in the province has initiated some very important projects to build the capacity of the government in their sector with an expenditure of Rs13 million.

This includes work on the centralised automated record management on child protection and data base for prisoners, crime situation, law and order, strengthening of the office of the Provincial Ombudsman and establishment of Prosecution Department in Punjab.