Punjab government has utilised only 36 percent of the Annual Development Program (ADP) for 2010-11, which showed a lack of interest by the government for the province’s development, sources in Punjab Finance Department told Pakistan Today on Monday.
Special Education and Human Rights departments have not utilised ADP funds despite passage of ten months. They said the fiscal year is near to its end and the provincial government has spent only Rs 48.31 billion on development schemes. Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa has asked departments for giving report on non-utilisation of funds.
Punjab government in the financial budget 2010-2011 announced Rs 182 billion for ADP but later revised it to Rs 131.59 billion. Unfortunately, this amount was not utilised and until April 30, only Rs 97.97 billion had been released, out of which only Rs 48.31 billion was spent, sources said.
School Education, Local Government, Forestry, Fisheries, Wild Life, Industries and Tourism departments showed a ‘lethargic’ attitude in ADP spending and in many cases, did not touch the development schemes announced in budget 2010-11, said sources, adding that the province’s top administration was depressed over the non-utilisation of funds.
“The CM says he is working hard for the education in the province but in reality the departments of Special Education and School Education have not started any development schemes in the province, leaving Punjab illiterate,” said a senior official of the Punjab government, seeking anonymity. He said no big schemes started in any part of the province.
In a meeting held recently at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, more than three dozen secretaries were present while Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa chaired the meeting. Khosa asked secretaries of Special Education, Human Rights, Tourism and School Education departments for explaining the reasons for slow utilisation of ADP funds.
In the meeting, the secretaries gave different types of excuses for the slow utilisation of funds and tried to put blame on others for the negligence. Special Education Secretary Najam Saeed said that funds were not utilised, as the pilot projects for computerisation were abandoned and a new scheme was under consideration which will be implemented in the ADP of next fiscal year.
Human Rights Secretary Arshad Bin Ahmad said that owing to lack of information from the districts scheme could not be initiated. “We will try our best to utilise some funds before June 30,” a source present in the meeting quoted Arshad. Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Babar Hassan Bharwana said that the department had surrendered Rs 4 million owing to the departments’ merger and Rs 15 million will be utilised before the end of the fiscal year.
School Education Secretary Mohammad Aslam Kamboh said that owing to a lengthy process of assessment of missing facilities and up gradation of schools, utilisation of the released amount could not be maximised.
Punjab govt ‘lacks interest’ in ADP funds’ utilisation
