Staff Reporter
Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht chaired a meeting to review progress on the annual development programme 2021-22 at P&D Board.
The meeting was attended by chief secretary Jawad Rafique, chairman P&D Abdullah Sumbal, secretary finance Iftikhar Sahu and administrative secretaries.
The meeting took stock of the issues relating to the utilization of budget and completion of ongoing schemes.
The chairman P&D briefed the participants that Rs337 billion were earmarked for development expenditures in the current financial year and the amount has increased to Rs346 billion after payment of pending dues by the federal government. As many as, 65 percent of the current ADP has been utilized, he added.
Giving the details, he added that Rs200 billion was allocated for ongoing schemes and out of this amount, Rs83 billion of the released Rs129 billion has been utilized.
Similarly, Rs71 billion was earmarked for new schemes in the current budget. The government has utilized 68 percent of the released amount worth Rs39 billion, he added. The 67 percent of the released budget of various development programmes has also been utilized, he further said.
Abdullah Sumbal continued that the literacy and non-formal education department has utilized 87 per cent budget, the urban development department used 86 percent while the planning and development department spent an 83 per cent budget.
Similarly, the labour and human resource used a 79 per cent budget, the sports and youth affairs department spent 79 per cent budget, the energy department used 74 per cent and specialized healthcare spent a 73 per cent budget in the current fiscal year.
All other departments have used more than 56 per cent of their budget, he added. On the other side, chairman P&D maintained that laws relating to the requisition of land are causing the delay in public-private partnership based projects.
The finance minister directed the line departments to ensure maximum progress and utilization of budget, adding that laws will be amended, if required, to remove impediments in PPP-mode projects and the government will also extend necessary support to the partners.
