The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government could only utilize only 12.7 per cent of the total budget allocated to them under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2014-15 during first six months of the fiscal year, the Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) revealed on Monday.
In a statement issued here, the centre urged the government of KP to expedite the utilization of development budgets allocated under ADP, otherwise the development fund could lapse, it feared.
It said that out of the total allocation of Rs. 140.23 billion under KP ADP for 2014-15, only Rs. 17.86 billion were utilized by January 2, 2015. While the KP government released about Rs. 64 billion under the annual ADP by January 2, 2015.
CGPA analysis of the utilization of the development budget for the first six months of the fiscal years 2014-15 shows that only 6.7 per cent of the elementary and secondary education development budget was used in the first six months. Out of the total Rs. 19.9 billion development budget for elementary and secondary education, only Rs 1.34 billion was utilized by January 2, 2015. Despite the fact that almost 2.5 million children are out of schools in the province, the KP government has failed to act. Its inability to spend development budgets efficiently and effectively is adding to the gravity of the challenges faced by the education system.
Allocation for roads was Rs. 17.25 billion in the 2014-15 ADP. By January 2, 2015, only Rs. 2.53 billion, around 14.7 per cent of the total budget, had been used. Regional development, which covers some discretionary funds, was allocated Rs. 17.08 billion. Only Rs. 2.41 billion from this had been used which counts for about 14-15 per cent of the total budget.
Similarly, for the health sector Rs. 11.29 billion was allocated in the 2014-15 ADP, but only Rs. 1.10 billion, 9.82 per cent of the total health ADP, was utilized. CGPA demanded that more funds be allocated for the provision of medical equipment and medicine to hospitals, which can improve the performance of the health sector in KP.
Similarly development budget utilization in the other sectors also remained low with agriculture 11.7 per cent, auqaf and religious affairs 7.8 per cent, building 19.5 per cent, drinking water and sanitation 11.9 per cent, energy and power 20.6 per cent, environment 7.5 per cent, finance 15.5 per cent, food 5.6 per cent, forestry 25.6 per cent, higher education 19 per cent, home 13.9 per cent, housing 6.7 per cent, industries 3 per cent, information 19.6 per cent, labour 0.7 per cent, law and justice 12.8 per cent, mines and minerals 5.8 per cent, population welfare 8.9 per cent, pro-poor special initiatives 6.7 per cent, research and development 12.9 per cent, social welfare 9.5 per cent, sports, tourism and archaeology 23 per cent, ST & IT 4 per cent, transport 3.3 per cent, urban development 14.9 per cent, water 13.7 per cent, while no funds were utilized under district ADP and relief and rehabilitation.
CGPA Programme Manager Malik Masood demanded that the KP government ensure efficient and accountable mechanisms for improving ADP spending. The KP government was told to follow the budget rules and start planning development projects for the next year ADP to avoid such delay in 2015-16.
He said the government should improve its utilization capacity through efficient mechanism and use of information technology. Furthermore, the government should devolve powers to districts by holding local government elections, so that 35 per cent of the ADP, as promised, can be used at local level.