The Punjab government on Monday unveiled an ambitious Rs 290 billion Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the year 2013-14.
Having tasted success because of its popular programmes which proved to be big clinchers in the recently-held elections, the PML-N provincial government continued with such popular initiatives. It created a special head for the development expenditures of the politically popular programmes in the province.
These popular projects include Danish Schools programme for which Rs 3 billion was allocated, the Punjab Education Endowment Fund got Rs 2 billion, Punjab Education Foundation Rs 7.5 billion, Aashiana Housing Scheme Rs 3 billion, Self Employment Scheme Rs 3 billion, PIEDMC/FIEDMC Rs 3 billion, Infrastructure Development Fund Rs 3 billion, Innovation Development Fund Rs 500 million, Rs 1.5 billion was allocated for the internship programme, Rs 500 million for low-income housing, Rs 5 billion for clean drinking water, Rs 4 billion for Pilot Health Card Project in four districts, Rs 1.5 billion for TEVTA, Rs 3 billion for the Punjab Millennium Development Goals Programme (PMDGP), Rs 2.5 billion for Population Welfare and Rs one billion was allocated for PAMCO.
For the fiscal year 2013-14, the Punjab government increased development expenditures on the social sector by 51.7 percent, social protection sector by 409.9 percent, infrastructure development by 12.1 percent, production sector by 550 percent, services sectors by 192.6 percent, and expenditure on special packages was increased by 73 percent.
The government allocated Rs 88 billion for eth social sector investment of which Rs 25.4 billion was allocated for the education sector, and Rs 18.3 billion for health.
The government allocated Rs 20.5 billion for the energy sector, Rs 25 billion for women empowerment initiatives, Rs 13 billion for Southern Punjab Development Project (SPDP), Rs 7.5 billion subsidy was given on solar tube wells and Rs 5 billion for establishment of the New Industrial City Economic Zones.
Of Rs 25.398 billion allocated to the education sector, Rs 16.5 billion would be used for school education, Rs 7.5 billion for higher education, Rs 1.208 billion for special education, Rs 1.79 billion for literacy.
Budgetary figures indicate a special focus on infrastructure development with an allocation of Rs 92.3 billion. Of this amount Rs 33.1 billion would be spent on roads, Rs 23.5 billion on irrigation, Rs 10 billion on public buildings, and Rs 5.5 billion would be spent on Urban Development and BRTS.
In the production sector, Rs 5.5 billion was allocated for the agriculture sector, Rs 1.125 billion for forestry, wildlife and fisheries, Rs 200 million for food, Rs 1.7 billion for livestock, Rs 5.2 billion for industries, commerce and investment sectors development schemes, and Rs 500 million for mines and minerals.