Punjab education dept releases Rs5.32b NSB funds for schools in 36 districts

LAHORE: The Punjab government has released four-month (July-Oct) Non-Salary Budget (NSB) funds amounting to Rs5.32 billion for primary, elementary, high and higher secondary schools in 36 districts of the province for FY2018-19 of which Faisalabad got the major chunk of over Rs371 million, while Lodhran would get a meager Rs75 million.

The concerned departments were directed to disburse the NSB funds to all schools and the certificate of transfer of NSB funds should be submitted to Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit – Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme [PMIU-PESRP) by September 19, 2018.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of District Education Authorities (DEA) was advised to direct concerned DEOs and AEOs to ensure effective and efficient monitoring and utilisation of these funds.

According to the documents, the Finance Department has released four-month NSB funds amounting to Rs5.32 billion for FY2018-19 vide order number SO (Budget-II) PMIU/2017 (NSB) dated August 30, 2018, for primary, elementary, high and higher secondary schools.

These funds have been transferred into Special Drawing Accounts (SDA) jointly operated by CEO, District Education Authority and District Education Officer (Secondary) in all 36 districts, for further disbursement to respective schools.

The documents showed that for further allocation and transfer of funds by districts to schools and execution of the NSB funds by schools; District Education Authorities are being provided with the school-specific need-based NSB funds over and above their PFC share, as a conditional grant, which cannot be used for any other purpose.

Moreover, the NSB Funds for all functional primary, elementary, high and higher secondary schools have been transferred into SDAs of DEAs for NSB for FY2018-19.

The documents showed that the CEOs of DEAs are required to transfer the NSB funds immediately to the respective bank accounts of school councils as per the list attached.

The CEOs, District Education Authorities are required to ensure that every school council already has an exclusive bank account for these funds. Headteachers and co-chairperson will continue to be the NSB account can only be opened in the name of the school.

District Education Authorities are requested to notify the entitlement list of primary/elementary/high/higher secondary schools as an annexure of their respective district budget for FY2018-19. All NSB funds provided to schools shall be subject to audit by the auditor general of Pakistan.

The Punjab governor accorded sanction to the placement of an amount of Rs5.32 billion into the respective SDAs of CEO of DEA and DEO (Secondary) for augmentation of non-salary component for primary, elementary, high and higher secondary schools for four months on August 30 as per the detail given below:

District Faisalabad got the maximum fund of Rs371,190,551 followed by Lahore with Rs 250,682,576, Attock Rs108,510,001, Bahawalnagar Rs193,164,974, Bahawalpur Rs144,191,079, Bhakkar Rs110,665,326, Chakwal Rs82,252,176, Chiniot Rs81,755,788, DG Khan Rs 152,904,113, Gujranwala Rs191,264,914, Gujrat Rs143,312,733, Hafizabad Rs70,382,039, Jhang Rs160,457,606, Jhelum Rs71,086,834, Kasur Rs174,632,696, Khanewal Rs195,125,439, Khushab Rs76,854,887, Layyah Rs131,663,696, Lodhran Rs75,171,581, Mandi Bahauddin Rs95,086,644, Mianwali Rs103,372,836, Multan Rs169,869,396, Muzaffargarh Rs170,899,885, Nankana Sahib Rs84,403,031, Narowal Rs117,961,017, Okara Rs174,264,992, Pakpattan Rs111,562,145, Rahim Yar Khan Rs251,288,558, Rajanpur Rs79,120,421, Rawalpindi Rs 172,893,756, Sahiwal Rs155,403,262, Sargodha Rs215,294,496, Sheikhupura Rs143,882,898, Sialkot Rs181,695,853 and TT Singh got funds amounting to Rs147,592,797.